Mar 17, 2009 5:45 pm US/Eastern
Friendly Competition Has Seniors Saying "Wii"
BOCA RATON (CBS4) ―
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A Wii bowler lines up for a shot on a large screen television.
CBS
If you hear the sounds of laughter and taunting at an assisted living center, there's no need to worry. It's actually a group of seniors taking on each other in a friendly game of Wii Bowling.
"Move it" Therese Smith shouts at the screen. Another player yells from the back of the room, "Lets go!"
It's a little friendly Wii bowling competition. Seniors from the Renaissance Assisted Living in Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton Rehabilitation Center formed two teams: The Renaissance Rollers, and the Bayside Bowlers. The teams then go head-to-head and wheel chair to wheel chair. Anne Vaccarino told
CBS4 Mobile Journalist Jim Robinson, "Oh, I get a lot of pleasure seeing the pins go down" she smiles.
Tuesday, Anne Vaccarino and teammate Laura Rose are confident they'll come out as Wii champions. They've practiced for 2 solid weeks.
"We're pretty good. She and I are the best ones on the team," Rose said. Some get a little help from staff to master the controls. The rest is pure talent!
It's not all play though. There are actually quite a few health benefits to the video game. Marlene Lieberman with Renaissance Assisted Living in Deerfield Beach told
CBS4, "It is amazing for fitness, for stimulation, for hand-eye coordination".
It's also great for the mind; proving neither the Wii nor the human spirit, have age limits. "Whether it be 6 or 7-year olds, or 85 year olds, it's awesome" Rachael Hass the activities director with Boca Raton Rehabilitation said. The use of a Wii in rehabilitation has led some to call it "Wiihab" or "Wiihabilitation."
The Wii was released in December of 2006, and since that date, Nintendo has sold over 7 and a half million of the consoles. Ironically, the company didn't expect the system to become the runaway success it has become and didn't make enough units to meet the demand.
The Bayside Bowlers ended up winning the competition, but it's all the seniors who win when it comes to keeping healthy with both body and soul.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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