For anyone who thinks video games rot your brain, think again. Jo Collinge, a 48-year-old British woman, recently reported that playing motion-bases titles on the Nintendo Wii helped reverse some of the symptoms of her Parkinson’s disease.
When Collinge was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 18 months ago, she quickly lost her ability to walk and was facing even more challenges as her body began to break down because of the debilitating disease.
But instead of giving up, Collinge turned to motion gaming on the Wii. By boxing, doing step aerobics, and hula hooping, Collinge saw what she calls a “massive improvement.”
She explains, “I can now do a lot of things again which I couldn’t before. I’ve become far more nimble and can walk much further.”
And Jo is not the only one who thinks the Wii has helped slow down and even reverse symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
After receiving “overwhelming feedback” from sufferers, one charity organization – Parkinson’s UK – provided a $53,865 grant to researchers at Belfast University who are studying the positive health effects associated with motion gaming systems like the Wii.
Of course, no one is doubting the link between exercise and health, but why the Wii in particular?
Well, perhaps it’s because motion gaming consoles bring the gym into your living room and it’s fun. There are also no machines to wipe down, creepy guys in tank tops, daunting body builders or exercise classes to attend. [[Nintendo]]
(Via The Sun UK)
