Age is not a barrier to the competitive spirit. Nintendo Wii bowling is allowing seniors to have virtual competitions and participate in active sport. It has turned into a business enterprise:
“… Carol Trent, an exercise physiologist, came up with the idea. She leads the Pittsburgh operations of Senior Helpers, which offers services in the Wii bowlers’ facilities and has 260 franchises in 37 cities.
“Keeping people active is really important,” Ms. Trent said. “Wii gives people the opportunity to experience sports they would not otherwise be able to do. Especially for seniors. They can’t pick up the bowling ball any more.”
link: The bowling’s virtual, but tournament’s real
The social benefits of the activity are obvious. Additionally, there are psychological and physical gains. The seniors are engaged in virtual activity which is mentally stimulating, involves movement and muscle coordination.
The videogame industry might not have focused on rehabilitation medicine or geriatrics as target markets. Nevertheless, clinical evidence is supporting videogames like Wii Fit bowling as a healthy, prescribed physical activity for seniors.
Catherine Forsythe
[Image via Wikipedia]
[...] link is being shared on Twitter right now. @katriord, an influential author, said RT @iwomensports [...]