Can a video game actually get you fit and help with physical therapy?

Wii Fit might get you moving, but it might not get you in shape.

That, at least, is the conclusion of experts. But while Wii Fit probably won’t help you shed those extra pounds, if you’re looking to rehabilitate anything from a dislocated shoulder to a brain injury, the Wii may be just what the doctor ordered—literally.
The hype about the Wii has been overwhelming, and it’s helped to generate huge sales for its maker, Nintendo. Since its U.S. release in November 2006, the console has sold more than 8 million units and 25 million more worldwide.

The new Wii Fit, a $90 balance board designed for exercise games that purports to calculate your “Fit Age” has received just as much press. Released just three weeks ago, the unit has sold out in most stores, and has already provoked a lively debate about whether video games can truly have a positive impact on players’ health.
“The Wii Fit is very useful,” says Dr. Justin Liu, who has used the Wii in his practice. “For those days when you get home from work and you just don’t have the energy to drive to the gym, it at least gets you off the couch and doing some physical activity.”
Medical professionals agree that the Wii Fit is likely to be particularly beneficial to a population not known for its video game-playing prowess: the elderly. Aging individuals, they point out, tend to be sedentary, and the system encourages exercise. The Wii can also benefit those who live in isolated areas,where there are few gyms.
There are skeptics, however. Judith Stern, a professor of nutrition and internal medicine at the University of California, Davis, doesn’t think either the Wii or Wii Fit provide enough real exercise.

“People say that anything is better than nothing, and I don’t believe that,” Stern says. “The Wii and the Wii Fit are not adequate replacements for a daily dedication to physical activity, like walking often.”

Nintendo, for example, says that Wii Boxing can burn 104 calories in 15 minutes. Stern suggests that isn’t possible for someone standing in a static position; instead, she recommends walking vigorously outdoors for that same amount of time.
And the Wii Fit shouldn’t be the first option for those trying to lose weight. Stern maintains that losing weight is easy, but that keeping it off requires developing a lifestyle that embraces natural, regular exercise.
Listen to what the experts say in our audio feature, as they weigh in on the benefits and not-so-beneficial aspects of Wii-hab.Wii-Hab

Though the Wii might not get you in shape, it might be able to give you your life back.

Susan Gillen of San Francisco was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2006. After doctors removed the tumor from her frontal lobe, she awoke to find the left side of her body paralyzed. She knew she needed physical therapy, but she didn’t know that she’d get it from a video game.

“I didn’t even like video games,” Gillen, 47, says. “But when I started using the Wii, my recovery progression literally doubled.”
Gillen’s physician, Dr. Liu, calls it “Wii-hab.” Liu first received a Wii from his fiancÈe as a gift. Playing at home, he noticed its potential for patients and developed a rehab program centered around the game console.

“The Wii is so interactive,” Liu says. “It uses hand-eye coordination and hones reaction times, so it really benefits someone with a neurologic injury like a stroke, a spinal cord injury or even a nerve root compression that causes leg weakness. The applications for the Wii are just huge.”

Liu and his team of therapists at St. Mary’s Medical Center use the Wii to complement existing therapies.

Because the Wii is entertaining, patients are less likely to become bored and give up on their therapy, as often happens with traditional repetitive physical exercises.

Those benefits are catching the attention of other medical professionals.
This August, approximately 300 professional therapists and technologists from more than 15 countries will travel to Vancouver to participate in the sixth annual Virtual Rehabilitation Conference.

The gathering is aimed at improving the use of virtual reality in cognitive and physical rehabilitation programs. This year’s conference will feature a special tutorial on how to use the Wii, and a discussion of how to develop even more effective medical uses for the system.

Grigore Burdea, exhibit chair of the conference and a Rutgers University professor who specializes in high-tech rehab therapy, expects virtual rehabilitation to revolutionize the medical industry. The Wii, he says, is a central part of that movement.

A wide range of people can benefit from therapy programs that incorporate technology. Stroke patients, chronic ankle-sprainers and those who suffer from cerebral palsy all can improve through “Wii-habilitation.”

“I don’t think there is any specific group of people that would not potentially benefit,” Burdea says. “But, remember: the Wii was not designed for the disabled. It was designed for young, healthy adults. So it should be done in moderation. And if it is used by the disabled, ideally it should be supervised to avoid injury.”

Still, more active individuals shouldn’t pretend that the system constitutes a complete fitness regime.

“The Wii is more about enjoyment for those who don’t have any medical conditions and aren’t hospitalized,” Liu says. “If you already run marathons, the Wii is not going to challenge you.”

Tennis, bowling, golf, baseball and boxing: find out how the Wii versions of games compare in terms of calorie-burning versus their real counterparts in our interactive feature.