They gather around the television set for their weekly exercise at Provena St. Joseph’s nursing home.
It’s where a group of residents get flexibility, balance and some strength training — along with a bit of bowling and boxing — since physical therapist Heather Flynn started bringing her Wii Fit game system to work six weeks ago.
Marcia Dubach, occupational therapist at the Freeport, Ill., home, said the system works well in a group setting for users with limited mobility “because they can do it all together while one person works the equipment.
“It’s not too complicated and it’s not to video-gamish. With this generation, video games aren’t their forte, but it’s pretty straightforward. She (the Wii voice) talks very simply and slowly, and the cueing is very easy to understand. They put the words up on the screen so everyone can read them, but she also speaks them very clearly. We turn the volume way up so everyone can hear and most don’t have a hard time following the directions at all.”
Dubach said the home uses the system to give the residents a yoga workout along with flexibility and balance exercises. Some can perform the exercises while standing, but others sit depending on their level of function.
She said a dot on the television screen helps the resident using the equipment to check their balance and the others can watch to see what they need to do to be on balance when it’s their turn.
“It gives them a good visual cue, which is really helpful,” Dubach said, “and I think they surprised themselves with what they could and, sometimes, it’s, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize I couldn’t do that,’ and it kind of opens their eyes.”
Dubach said the Wii Fit exercises are similar to those she and Flynn did one-on-one with the residents, but this really helps to structure it and lets us do it in a group setting.
“We would do similar stretches, but this really takes us through a nice routine and they’re used to the pattern now, so they kind of have a little routine and they don’t need a lot of cueing any more. They just follow along.”
Sister Mary Gabriel Parcells, a longtime worker at St. Joseph’s before she retired and became a resident, scored one of the first knockouts when the residents tried Wii Boxing.
