Wii-hab

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I was recently able to talk to Bruce Battles about using Wii Fit in the rehabilitation process. The Amplifier has an article about WKU and Battles's work here.

Battles says that while the Wii Fit (and similar virtual exercise programs) are no substitute for the nitty-gritty rehab work done at centers around the country, virtual programs are a great supplement to the rehabilitation process. And he would know, he and his son used the "Wii-hab" method to help overcome his son's right-arm paralysis after a traffic accident.

"It makes doing those exercises fun, so you do more without realizing what you're doing," says Battles.

Battles believes that more research needs to be done to prove that the method is effective in maintaining fitness in the infirm or injured, which is where research from Dr. Scott Owens comes into play.

While Owens could not divulge any information on the current progress of his study in an email interview, he did assure me results should be available around May.