Suffering With Joy

The Great Benefits of the Nintendo Wii

April 15, 2010

I first mentioned the Nintendo Wii™ in my post:  Holistic Approach to Treating Depression where I wrote about the importance of exercise as part of a wellness program to overcome depression.  The Wii™ was a delightful discovery for me when I was in rehab after having both hips replaced.  Somehow, bowling and softball made regaining my balance and strengthening my legs a lot less onerous, and the occupational therapist I played with was a lot of fun.  Not only was the weather or having to go somewhere (getting in and out of a car was hard) not an issue, the mental lift I got from the exercise made me look forward the sessions.  Since then, I saw that Dr. David Williams [1] wrote about how the Wii™ is being used to help Parkinson’s patients improve balance and coordination.

If we suffer from debilitating conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, Parkinson’s, chronic back or knee pain, a stroke or obesity, our quality of life quickly diminishes.  We can easily lose our range of motion, muscle mass, and will to do even the most basic things like chopping veggies for a healthy dish, dusting the house or loading the laundry into a wash machine.  Getting in and out of a car can be a major project and slowly we find we have cut ourselves off from friends and healthy activities we once enjoyed because it is just too difficult to get out.  Depression sets in and one day we may wake up and ask ourselves, “How in the world did I get here?”

I cannot emphasize enough what Wii™ can do for us by giving us an enjoyable way to get moving, revving up the endorphins in our brains and helping us restore our balance and build muscle mass to help us move our bodies more easily. We can build core body strength, improve fine motor skills, and experience increased energy levels.  It can give us an excuse to invite a friend over for some healthy competition in a golf or bowling game, all without the stress on the body an actual game would cost us.

If you’ve ever wanted an alter-ego, the Wii™ makes it possible.  Using a character of your own creation you can track your wins, losses, and achievements, and it makes goal setting fun.  This is yet another engagement of the brain that helps with healing and improving cognitive functioning.

What I like best is that by playing a game I use the same muscles I need for doing ordinary daily activities, and it makes a good fill-in for the days I can’t make it to the therapy pool.

Probably one of the greatest challenges for a disabled person is to keep a good mental attitude, especially when getting a disease under control seems hopeless.  Playing Wii™ games makes me laugh and laughter lowers pain levels and strengthens the immune system, both of which affect depression levels.  Moving around helps the body throw off toxins that interfere with brain functioning.

If you know someone who could benefit from a Wii™ you will be doing them a great kindness to mention it and even offer to play games with them. How many lonely, depressed people with discouraging illnesses are out there who could be lifted up by playing a game with someone who cares? Who knows – you could be an “angel” in disguise.

[1] February 2010 Alternatives newsletter.  Click on the link at the sidebar for his web site.

Tags: chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, wellness

3 Comments to The Great Benefits of the Nintendo Wii

1. 

   We have had a Wii for a couple years now and absolutely love it! We finally broke down and bought Wii Fit and let me tell you… it’s a workout! But it’s at your own pace and fun for all ages. It is also great for a family activity and is good wholesome fun.
Julia Dixon on April 15th, 2010
2. 

   This is just the kind of family activity that is so good for relationships. I think that we all need to do things where we can laugh together. Thanks for your story – it’s good to hear.
barb on April 15th, 2010
3. 

   Thanks for the post. My children love Wii we have not gotten one for them as we thought it might interfere with their school work, but with your post I am having second thoughts. Thanks again. God Bless.
Helen Gonsalves on April 18th, 2010

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