Yes, that’s me doing Step Up aerobics.  It’s a great warm-up activity.  This is my last entry on the Wii Fit so I’m going to focus on its application in the clinic.

 I’ve unlocked all the individual activities, though I can still move up in number of reps and length of time for a couple of them. 

 There are activities in all categories (yoga, strength, balance, and aerobics) that are beneficial to all clinical settings.  It does require unlocking the more difficult activities before it would be challenging enough for some active patients.  The good news is it doesn’t take long to unlock these activities, or of course you could create a Patient Mii then use the same generic Mii wherever you go and track individual progress manually.  The Wii is easy to pack up and set-up and can be used in confined spaces — home health anyone?

Here’s what I think of individual Fit activities and their use on the clinic. . .

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Well, I’ve been consistent at 30 minutes or more of Wii Fit every day this week and the Fit rewards me with praise.  My husband has not been so consistent.  The Fit asks me if I’ve seen him and maybe I should pay more attention to him to influence his participation.

I’ve unlocked most of the basic level activities, and progressed to the “advanced” level of the original activities.  This is not as easy as it looks.  Just trying to do 20 single-leg extensions, whew, I feel the burn by 15.

My favorites in each category:

• Strength Training:  Single-leg extension at 20 reps, push-ups and side plank at 10 reps.
• Aerobics:  Rhythm boxing (a reminder of Krav) at 10 minutes, super hula hoop at 10 minutes (my obliques just beg to quit before the end).
• Yoga:  Warrior, triangle (I can’t get to the full position yet)
• Balance Games:  Advanced table tilt

Could this be used in the clinic?  ABSOLUTELY — pediatrics and geriatrics at all activities levels, and even some orthopedic patients using the advanced activities.  The activities, scores, and time performing the activities are objective measures.  Not to mention the thing is just plain fun.

The good, the bad. . .

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We managed to score a Wii Fit last week and I’ve used it almost every day.  Here are my personal experiences with the Fit — the good, the bad, the — well, you get the idea.

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A study published in the June 2008 issue of Clinical Rehabilitation proved how a simple exercise program, performed twice weekly, significantly improved mobility in the community-dwelling older population.

Eight-eight participants, aged 64-86 with various health issues that affected strength and mobility, living in the community, utilized a 1-hour circuit-like program consisting of 8 stations:  “sitting to standing, walking over and around small obstacles, stepping in different directions, heel raises, stepping up sideways onto a 5- to 15-cm block, standing on one leg and tapping the other leg forwards onto a block, and use of a treadmill or exercise bicycle.”

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Researchers in the Netherlands set about to answer this question. . .

“What is the effect on range of motion and functional status of prolonged use of a continuous passive motion device at home in addition to PT, compared to PT alone, in patients with limited flexion range of motion (less than 80°) of the knee at discharge from the hospital after total knee arthroplasty?”

They used a blinded, randomized controlled trial.  All participants received the following four day in-hospital protocol:  CPM treatment of 2 consecutive hours, 2x/day (total 4 hours) plus 20 minutes of PT treatment.

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