But does it aid balance? Ongoing research into the benefits of the Wii Fit suggests that the game improves a number of fitness measures, including balance.
“My research focuses on balance and older adults and developing ways to decrease the number of falls in older adults,” Katie Bieryla, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Bucknell University, told the Post in the Nov/Dec 2010 article Balancing Act. “Last summer, I conducted a small study to train older adults on the Wii Fit with the intention of improving clinical measures of balance. After three weeks of training, we saw improvements in that area.”

Bieryla’s short study focused on participants—ranging in age from 75 to 92—from a local nursing home, who performed the Wii Fit training for 30 minutes, three times a week. They tried different yoga poses, as well as the soccer and ski jump games to add an element of fun to the training sessions.
While unable to pinpoint which activity improved their balance, Bieryla noted that “they definitely had fun with the game.”

Being engaged with an exercise activity is certainly an important reason for adults of all ages to consider gaming as an option.
“The Wii Fit is an easy way for older adults to have fun, get involved, and improve measures of balance,” says Bieryla. “This is just one inexpensive and fun way that we could improve some balance measures, which in turn may help improve or lower the incidence of falls.”

Our thanks to Kathleen Bieryla and to Bucknell University for providing the following video on the use of Wii Fit in strengthening core muscles and improving balance.

Wii Fit: Balancing Acts The Saturday Evening Post

Bone may look dry and dormant, but they are actually living tissue that can get stronger with the right kind of exercise. Research now shows that new bone cells develop in areas where muscles tug at bones and when body weight impacts the ground with more than usual force.

“The body is ever changing,” explains physical therapist Patrice Winter, M.S. “Exercise that ‘loads’ or puts extra pressure on bones causes new bone cells to grow—not as efficiently as when we were young, but enough to make a significant difference.”

Depending on your health and fitness level (and with your doctor’s permission), consider these exercises to help bones stay strong as you move through life.

Light Weights: To strengthen wrist bones, hold onto soup cans and move the joint in all directions. Instead of using soup cans, look around your home for bottles of dish or hand soap that fit easily in your hand. When empty, fill them with sand, or small pebbles from the yard.

Stair Climbing: If your balance is good, climbing stairs is a great way to build bones in the hips, legs, and feet. Going up and down stairs involves standing on one foot in order to move the other one, and will further improve balance and prevent potentially devastating falls.

Take 10, Three Times Daily: Everyone can do three 10-minute sets of exercises that are matched to their capabilities. Beginners can sit in a chair and kick their feet out, or use the soup cans to do arm (biceps) curls. When standing, lift the cans in front of the body or above the head. March in place.

Work up to 30 minutes, Five Days a Week: Most people can do Tai chi. Yoga practice ranges from gentle movements performed sitting in a chair to Hot Yoga that works every body system. Use common sense, and always adapt Tai chi and yoga positions to what is comfortable for you. Brisk walking, golfing, and dancing all provide full range of motion. Hiking puts more pressure on the body than walking on a paved surface, and using a walking stick loads bones of the upper body as well.

Know Your Start Zone: Remember, exercises to tone the bones must put more pressure on skeleton than do your everyday activities. But don’t do too much, too soon. Honor your body, and consider consulting a medically trained physical therapist to design a fitness plan that is safe and effective for you. For a nine-question quiz to assess your current level of motion, and to find a physical therapist near you, visit www.moveforwardpt.com.

Physical therapist Patrice Winter, M.S., is affiliated with the American Physical Therapy Association, the American Academy of Manipulative Physical Therapists, and George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Strong Bones for Life The Saturday Evening Post