Video Games: Good for the Body, Good for the Brain

Treadmills and stretching are out: Physical therapists are turning to the Nintendo Wii to help the injured and infirm get their grooves back while increasing flexibility and strength. Click on over to see a video of a 70-year-old patient looking awfully spry as he hits a few balls in Nintendo's Wii Sports tennis game... all part of a medical therapy regimen.

This is hardly the first time that video games have been used for medical and health purposes. Nintendo's Brain Age series is popularly prescribed to help elderly patients stay sharp as a sort of "exercise" for the mind. Re-Mission was designed for children with cancer, helping to inform them about treatment while keeping their spirits up during therapy. The company says the game has been shown to actually improve the prognosis for patients, saying that players actually maintain higher chemotherapy levels in the blood, suggesting the game helps them stick to their therepy schedules [PDF link]. Check out the Games for Health initiative for more news on the topic.

The Wii, though, is moving gaming out of niche applications and into the mainstream because the console is so accessible to such a wide variety of players. (You should see my four-year-old play Wii Carnival Games.) The upcoming Wii Fit could be a real killer in this category for those who don't have the sense of rhythm that Dance Dance Revolution requires: Check out the video at the following link to see how it could make working out into something you look forward to, whether you're eight or eighty.

See, mom? I told you video games were good for you!

LINK: Nintendo Wii Providing Therapeutic Opportunity