QUEST Seminars

August Edition of Wii Newsletter for QUEST Seminars

Software Review: EA Active

EA Active is designed to be a personal training assistant. In addition to the game disk, it comes with a leg strap to monitor lower extremity motion and a resistance band for upper extremity strength training. Additionally, this game is Wii Balance Board compatible. The game features four areas of training: cardio, lower extremity strengthening, upper extremity strengthening, and sports training.

Rehab Pros and Cons

Pros

• All activities have easy, medium, and hard levels which enables the therapist to vary the number of repetitions, speed of the sports activities, and time spent on each activity
• Game is able to monitor lower extremity motion which provides good biofeedback especially during squats
• Can use any Theraband strength for resistance training
• Includes sports drills–basketball, tennis, volleyball, and baseball; some of which incorporate plyometric training
• Can create custom programs

Cons

• Provided resistance band is approximately the strength of tan or yellow Theraband (sports-oriented exercises)
• Upper extremity and lower extremity strength training exercises are good, however using them in the clinic is unskilled
• Wii Balance Board Activities are lacking

Overall Impression: Great as a game/in home personal trainer. Best application for rehab is in outpatient/sports medicine for sports reintegration.

Accessory Review: Wii Motion Plus

This new accessory for the Nintendo Wii is an attachment for the Wii Remote designed to capture true motion from the remote. You may have noticed that there is a slight delay between when you/your patient move the remote and when the Mii move (i.e. Wii Sports). This accessory was created to eliminate this delay. If you were planning on purchasing this to enhance Wii-Sports, don’t bother! It is not retroactive.

This device only works for games created after it. Currently, this list includes: Grand Slam Tennis, Virtua Tennis 2009, Tiger Woods 10, and Wii Sports Resort (release date 7/26/09). In Grand Slam Tennis and Tiger Woods, the delay is compensated for, however, there is room for improvement. I anticipate as games continue to be developed for this technology, it will be used to its full potential.

Software Release Dates

• Wii Sports Resort: 7/26/09–comes with a Wii Motion Plus
• World Championship Athletics: 8/4/09
• Daisy Fuentes Pilates: 8/4/09
• Active Life Extreme Challenge: 8/11/09
• Ultimate Game Party: 8/25/09
• Go Play City Sports: 8/28/09

Did You Know?

• To maximize the accuracy of the Wii Fit Yoga poses, the patient’s feet should be placed on the balance board in the same spot as the trainer’s feet
• When using the basic step program in Wii-Fit, you do not have to step off the board laterally when directed to. The program still registers stepping in the anterior/posterior direction.

Have a treatment idea or clinical suggestion? Email Jamie at jamiegoldstein@questseminars.com

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