Daily Column

November 26, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
Your recent column about the Nintendo Wii was great.

I was born in 1927 and now live in a nursing home. When I was younger I used to bowl quite frequently. Because it is not as easy as it used to be, I now Wii-Bowl. It is really fun and can be enjoyed by people of all ages and fitness levels. My nursing home friends and I play together on a regular basis.

As James Brown would say, “I feel good” and plan on staying that way for a long time.

DEAR READER:
When I wrote that letter, I assumed it would only strike a cord with the under 35 set. When I received your letter, I knew I had to print it. It shows that the older and younger generations may have something in common after all. Thanks for writing and sharing your experience with this gaming system. I hope other seniors will consider this an option for keeping active physically, mentally and socially.

Filed Under: Daily Column Tagged With:

Daily Column

October 7, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
My 12-year-old son has been bugging me to get him a Nintendo Wii. He reasons that it is not like other gaming systems because body movement is required to play the games, thus he will be exercising while playing video games.

I am hesitant to get him the system because I don’t really believe that one can exercise while playing video games. In your opinion, does a Nintendo Wii provide adequate exercise or is going outside and playing sports and such, better? Please help so I can end this battle once and for all!

DEAR READER:
The answer depends on how the games are played.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) did a study on just how many calories are burned during certain Wii games (before the Wii fit was introduced). The study was carried out by a team [Read more...]

Filed Under: Daily Column Tagged With: ,