Are Wii active?

A lot of us have taken advantage of the revolution in gaming technology and gotten hooked in to the latest interactive video games. These game consoles are a hit with young and old alike, with everything from tennis to dancing, we can all find an interactive sport application to enjoy.

Did you know:

• A study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting 2009 showed that Nintendo Wii’s Bowling significantly increased heart rate, boosted mood and helped older-adult participants feel refreshed and energized.
• Another study showed that time spent playing motion and gesture controlled video games can count towards the daily amount of exercise required to maintain cardiovascular fitness according to guidelines provided by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), provided they are played in an active fashion.
• Research also shows that children can benefit from the new home gaming technology as well. Studies suggest that engaging in these physically active games requires more than twice the energy of traditional video games and raises children’s activity levels enough to meet guidelines for moderate-intensity activity.

The SIRC collection contains a variety of studies examining how physically interactive games can help get people of all ages get up and moving. Check some out today!

SIRC at the JCSMS!

2011 Joint Commission on Sports Medicine & Science Annual Meeting
by Nancy Rebel, Director of Library Services, SIRC

SIRC is pleased to be a member organization of the Joint Commission on Sports Medicine and Science (JCSMS) and attend the annual meetings. The Commission gathers together the executives from over 60 organizations that are leaders in the area of sport and physical activity. This year’s meeting is taking place in Philadelphia and SIRC’s Director of Library Services, Nancy Rebel, is in attendance.

Today’s discussions focused on two features:

US National Physical Activity Plan: From Plan to Implementation to Progress
The Plan is a comprehensive set of policies, programs, and initiatives that aim to increase physical activity in all segments of the American population. The intent of the Plan is to be inclusive and across all sectors and industries. The Plan focuses on the power of collaboration. The National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA) has taken a leadership role to move forward on the implementation of the plan. Goals are for the Plan to be very active, to create measurable change, setting annual strategies to forge forward on multi-year plan.

Latest resource for the Plan:
Make the Move report (digital report - interactive viral publication)

Wii-Hab to Wii Fit and Beyond
Bryce Taylor, MS, PT.
Using Wii in clinical practice for rehabilitation. He mainly uses games compatible with the WIi Balance Board (use Wii Fit & Wii Fit Plus).
This presentation was done by one of the self-proclaimed pioneers of this “Wiihabilitation”. A large percentage of physical therapists are currently using it for some of the following: Injury prevention, analysis, corrective exercise, research, athletic conditioning. Applications can be used for stroke patients through to athletes with modifications to make it easier or harder depending on the needs of the individual. Modifications can be made by using different equipment (Swiss ball, bosu, stability trainers, tilt board etc.) in conjunction with the Wii balance board. The balance board acts as a force plate. For example a plank can be done using Halo bars on a stability ball on the Wii balance board.
Benefits: Affordable, Advantageous, Affable (fun), Available
Targets: Stability, neuromuscular control, functional training, core strengthening