Health & Fitness Tools

Motion Gaming For Seniors

5th February, 2011 - Posted by health news - No Comments

The way people are using video games is different than how it used to be. Now, people are using their bodies as controllers. Not only are kids playing the games, but so are their parents and even their grandparents. Senior living facilities are using motion gaming as a rehabilitation tool.
The older generation has found that they are not alone playing games and has been a way for them to enjoy each others company. Many senior facilities have found that motion gaming is a good activity for seniors to enjoy. Game systems like the Nintendo Wii, The xbox 360 kinect and the Playstation Move have brought out the competitive nature of the senior citizens and video gaming tournaments are regularly held between different senior centers and while he majority of the seniors at the community centers love motion gaming they occasionally get frustrated with the controls because they forget which button to push or are unsure about how to play some of the games. But once that is overcome, they often enjoy the physical activity that comes with these games.
While many gamers have become very excited with the recent xbox 360 kinect release date, many senior citizens have become loyal to the Nintendo Wii which has been around for many years and this is because it allows a player to interact with the gaming system using a remote control and various other devices to simulate playing familiar sports such as tennis or bowling. What makes motion gaming different is that it makes the user interact using the body’s major muscle groups, and not just the hands as with most other video games.
People have been using technology to help get them moving form many years. Something about these new video games has made the way a person moves their body different. The interactive nature of the games allows a person to become part of the game. Before the television had a person who was acting out and all a person could do was to follow along. Now they are the person on the screen. Not only can the elderly get the exercise they need, but it can also be used to help them get the exercise they need after they are injured.
When people play today’s games they are not only challenging their body, they are challenging their brain. Research has shown that playing these games can help older people with many conditions that include Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s.
The good things that these games can do has been noticed by the people who make them. Games are no longer designed for younger users alone. A person can find a game that is designed for someone of just about any age. To meet the demand of the older generation the game makers are developing titles that will be popular with them.
Video games have been around for many decades. People who were gamers back in the seventies are still playing games. Senior citizens are not afraid of gaming because it is something they have always done. The only thing that is different is how good the platforms have become.

Parents used to worry about the effects that sitting on a couch holding a controller in the hand would have on a person’s body. People worried that playing games would cause people to be less active and could lead to many physical problems. Today’s gaming world is making that opinion obsolete. The gaming platforms have people dancing and exercising. Young and old alike are finding out that it is fun to be a part of the game.