More Wii-realted Injuries Reported, This Time in New Zealand

A New Zealand news station recently ran a segment addressing the risk of injury associated with using the Wii. At one point, a man discusses taking off a week of work for straining his shoulder from using the Wii. Later on, a physical therpist compares the injuries to “tennis elbow” and shows off some stretching exercises that could prevent further strain. I for one applaud Nintendo for creating a video game system that might do at least a little bit to curb the stereotype of all gamers being out-of-shape, lazy couch potatoes. They’ve inadvertently created a form of exercise for people that is enjoyable enough to distract them from the fact that they’re actually exercising.

It seems to me that the reason people keep hurting themselves, is because their bodies simply aren’t used to prolonged physical activities. Personally, I play basketball from time to time; but if I don’t play for a few weeks and then hit the court for a couple hours, my body will definitely be sore the next day. The games on Wii Sports may not be as intense physically as the actual sports they mimic, but it does have the player performing similar actions for a longer period of time, which can actually be even more laborious on the body. This just shows how regular exercise is very important to being able to continue doing the things you enjoy, even playing video games.