Who says video games are only for kids?  At the Lexington Park Retirement Community, video games are being used as a tool to help seniors stay active.  Thanks to the Nintendo Wii, many of Lexington Park's residents have been able to participate in activities they would have otherwise been unable to do at this point in their lives.  

In the main community gathering area, a dozen residents have gathered around the television to watch four of their friends bowl against one another.  Not only is the screen set up as if the players are at an actual bowling alley, but the participants are required to  use a bowling motion in order to play the game.  While holding the game controller, and pressing the correct sequence of buttons, the players use the sweeping motion associated with bowling, while watching their video game personality actually roll the ball down the alley for them.  Therefore, the Wii video game system allows the residents to bowl without many of the physical demands a live bowling situation would require.  In addition to bowling, the game system also boasts software for golf, tennis, and even boxing.  One of the residents proudly told me that she had boxed three times, and still had not been beaten. 

Most of us probably do not envision seniors playing video games.  I certainly did not.  Rhonda Botsford, who is the activity director at Lexington Park, told me that despite some of the preconceived notions we might have, the Wii system has actually been welcomed with open arms by the residents.  Although most of the residents were unfamiliar with the system at first, many of them received encouragement from family members who said that they would love it if they gave it a chance.  There was a bit of a learning curve in terms of getting used to the feel of the controller and understanding the button sequence, but once the residents got the hang of it, according to Botsford, there was no holding them back.  It has become so popular that many times crowds consisting of dozens of residents will gather to cheer their friends on as they compete during their free time.

I chatted with some of the residents of Lexington Park, and they expressed how much they enjoy playing the games.  A few told me that they enjoyed bowling when they were younger, and therefore appreciated the opportunity to continue playing in this setting.  I can think of very few opportunities where seniors can participate in a sport and not have to exert all of the physical demands required of that activity.  Botsford told me that the company that owns Lexington Park is purchasing Wii systems for all of their facilities.  I would encourage anyone else who works with seniors, or those who are unable to be as physically active as they used to be, to purchase one as well.  The results are undeniable.  I'm not sure if anyone else in the community is utilizing a Nintendo Wii in this capacity, but I would love to hear your comments and suggestions.