Chad Ruiz
St. Tammany News

During a regular session at CARE Physical Therapy in Covington, 10-year-old Bryce Stawsiki braces himself on a square cushion used for improving balance. With the controller in hand, he swings his arm around as he lets loose a speedy curve ball on the wall-mounted TV screen.

“Strike,” the monitor promptly reports as the computer-generated batter is struck out.

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“It’s good old fashion exercise with a twist,” physical therapist Brian Cochran with CARE said as he stands by observing his client’s posture.

“Wii-hab.” That’s what he’s calling the all-new physical therapy technique cropping up in rehab facilities across the country, including in at least three of the 30 clinics in St. Tammany. But it has little to do with bulky medicine balls or any other exercise gadgetry.

Nintendo’s newest gaming console, the Wii, and it’s cohort, the Wii Fit, among other things, finally provide an entertaining twist to the usual grueling routine of PT but with positive and effective results.

The Wii hit the ground running in the U.S. upon its release in 2006 when it sold over 600,000 consoles in the first eight days. It now has accumulated more than $9.5 million in sales. Its newest counterpart, the Wii Fit, has proven to be just as popular with 690,000 units sold in May in the U.S., its first month on the market.

The Wii consists of a small, upright console, its primary controller the Wii Remote and its attachment, the Nunchuk.

The system is the first of its kind that boasts a wireless controller with built-in accelerometers and infrared sensors detected by a Sensor Bar placed atop the TV.

Playing the day away pressed into the couch is a thing of the past when it comes to the Wii. Users must literally get into the game to participate in any of the Wii sports that include baseball, tennis, golf, bowling and even boxing. The Wii also boasts many other games users can enjoy with direct interaction through the wireless remote.

The Wii Fit is a separate, wireless platform users stand on to participate in any of its many exercise programs that include strength training, balance games, aerobics and yoga.

This interactive property of the Wii and Wii Fit has therapists everywhere revamping the age-old PT methods clients have come to despise.

“It is a fun and interactive way that we can incorporate balance exercises into our program,” said P.J. Landers with Landers Physical Therapy in Covington, who currently enlists one Wii Fit console in his clinic which is used by patients of all ages. “Although we continue to use conventional balance exercises, the Nintendo Wii Fit adds excitement to the program and brings the kid out in all of us.”

But it’s not all fun and games, Cochran said as he positioned himself behind Stawsiki, forcing him to straighten out his back. Stawsiki’s mother, Erin, after bringing her son to Cochran for nearly a year with poor range of motion in his ankles, attests to the results of the Wii.

I love it,” she said. “It keeps him interested in coming back, and I have seen a lot of improvement in his motion.”

With a majority of his Wii-users being children, Cochran said it’s a useful for “tricking” his clientele into doing therapy.

But it’s not only the youngsters who benefit from the top gaming console today. Wellness Works in Slidell has grandpa and grandma strutting their stuff as they perform on the Wii Fit.

“The older ones are a little bit tentative because they see their grandkids doing this and can’t imagine how they would do it,” physical therapist Tiffany Higgins said, adding they also use the devices to treat injured athletes.

Ultimately, the Wii and Wii fit are “fun ways to learn better techniques,” Higgins said.