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Some Of The Reasons The Elderly Play Video Games

13th February, 2011 - Posted by health news - No Comments

I am happy with who I am. I still lead an active life despite the fact that I have reached an advanced age. I still find enjoyment in doing something that is also enjoyed by a younger generation. When Christmas rolled around this year we were able to surprise our grandchildren with one of the motion gaming systems and with the recent xbox 360 kinect release date we were able to get him something that not all of his friends had, but the amazing part was how much fun it was for me to play the games with my grandchildren.

When I was younger, I remember playing video games. They are not the same as the games that are being played today. My first gaming platform was a clunky system that played only one game. I could tell right away that the newer platforms were nothing like what I first had. No longer was I going to have to have a controller in my hand. Everything was going to be done wirelessly. In order to play the games, we had to get up and move. Playing video games was going to better than ever because of this.

Everyone in our family got involved with playing video games on this special holiday. When I played, I could feel my heart pumping. I was exercising, but it felt completely different. We knew what we had to do after playing the games on that Christmas morning and a couple of more times when we had the chance. It was time for us to buy our own gaming platform. We felt that it would help our bodies and would be fun for us to do. The gaming system was everything we expected.

There were three different systems for us to choose from, the Nintendo Wii, the Playstation Move, and the xbox 360 kinect, and there seemed to be good things and bad things about each system but in the end we chose the Xbox since that is what my grandchildren already had and they would be able to enjoy it whenever they came over to visit at our house. Along with the platform we purchased a couple of games that we thought we would enjoy and that others would also enjoy.

A game that was going to help us workout was our first choice once we brought the system home. The game made me feel like I a part of the action. After a while my spouse saw what I was doing and decided she would like to try it. This was an unexpected benefit. Because we were in the comfort of our own home, there was very little to stop us from exercising. We had often used the weather outside as a reason to stay home and sit in front of the television to watch a movie rather than doing some type of exercise. Now we would not be able to use that as an excuse. After a short time, we noticed a difference in how we felt due to the exercise we were getting. Staying active is one of the best ways for a person to maintain their health, something that is well known. Another benefit that we found from gaming came when other people in our community came and started working out with us.

In the end the biggest benefit we got by buying a gaming system was the social benefits. As a gamer in my youth, my time was spent alone when playing games. Gamers now are much more social. By connecting through the internet I am spending more time with the kids in my family even though we live somewhat far apart. I have a connection with a lot of people that has been started or strengthened through the use of the gaming platform. It is a very pleasant side effect.