Tag Archives: wii for physical therapy

For years, parents have disparaged video games for not encouraging physical activity. New systems and advancements, like the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 Kinect, integrate the player’s physical movements into the gameplay. A recent study conducted at the University of Toronto suggests that active video games (AVGs) have development benefits for children with cerebral palsy. “[AVGs] provide a low-cost, commercially available system that can be strategically selected to address specific therapeutic goals,” said Elaine Biddiss, lead investigator of the study. “While our results did not show that AVG game play can be regarded as a replacement for more vigorous physical activity or muscle strengthening, we found that some games may provide targeted therapy focused on specific joints or movements.” Researchers studied 17 children with cerebral palsy as they played games like Wii Bowling, Wii Tennis, Wii Boxing and Dance Dance Revolution. Games like Wii Boxing helped children engage both arms…
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