Seniors find fitness can be fun with technology By Vince
Kong Journal Staff Writer
B.J. Rossow stands atop of her first slalom run of the day, surveying a course
of red and blue flags. With her heart pounding, she crouches in place — knees
bent, back slightly arched. The buzzer sounds,
gates open and she's off. Just moments before,
Pam Alexander was hurling herself down a 300-plus foot ramp in the ski jump competition,
sticking her landing to cheers of "She's doing it, yeah," and shouts
from the crowd. Not bad for a couple of
sexagenarians. Plus, Rossow, 62, and
Alexander, 61, were able to compete without ever donning a pair of skis. The two aren't part of
a 60-and-older extreme-sports movement. They were among a crowd of an estimated
150 senior citizens Saturday at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center, where the
theme of the day was demonstrating the newest in exercise technology, including
the Nintendo Wii Sport and Fit. "This was a
free-time event for seniors, stressing the importance of being mentally and
physically active," said Marta Nystrom of the Senior Alliance, which
sponsored the event. "There are a lot of new programs out there that
seniors may not know about because they're not hooked into the Internet or they
don't get out too much." And while Rossow was
never in any actual danger while whipping past — and sometimes through — the
gates, her virtual self did take a slight beating. Still, the former
slalom skier, who retired from the actual sport due to five knee surgeries,
said she had a blast. As for how close Wii
skiing was to the real thing, Rossow was stunned. "The velocity of
the run was a lot like a real run — I felt like I was in control of the
skis," she said. "I did feel like a beginner again since I'm not used
to using my hips and knees that much, but it was fantastic." For the uninitiated,
the Wii (pronounced "wee") Sport is an interactive video game system
that, along with a controller, a player's actual hand movements control the
movements of a virtual self on-screen in events such as tennis, bowling and
boxing. As for the Wii Fit, strength training, yoga and cardiovascular exercise
programs are controlled through a balance board, which records movements while
providing feedback on progress. The console costs around $250. The Wii Fit is
an additional $90. "These are
programs that seniors can do in their homes that combine the purpose of getting
fit with the idea of having fun," Nystrom said. And the Wii system is
just that — fitness and fun oriented, said Paul Cantwell of Home Instead. The private senior
services agency has sponsored events like the one in Santa Fe throughout the
country, and while scientific research on the actual health benefits of playing
the Wii system is limited, Cantwell said that, just by watching users interact
with the video game system, it becomes clear how engaging the Wii is. "It gets people to
move," he said. "The idea is to stimulate seniors physically, getting
them about, as well as engaging them mentally with these games." Alexander, who was also
a volunteer at the event, can attest to that. She has been using the
Wii system as part of her fitness regimen for the past year and swears by its
effectiveness. "This thing is
fantastic" she said. "(The Wii Fit) has yoga, balance training and
fitness training that you can do through many different games. It also has a
personal trainer who guides you. When you first get on it, it weighs you and
finds your center of balance." The Wii Fit, she added,
also offers some friendly advice — if you like it or not. "In yoga, if
you're a little shaky on one leg, the trainer will say, 'A little shaky are
ya.' It knows," Alexander said. "And if you haven't been on it for a
while, it'll say, 'Where have you been?' Kind of spooky." Mary Ellen Kaye,
another volunteer at the event, even brought along an 11-year-old to help with
the demonstration. "The idea is to
show grandparents how much fun it is to play with their grandkids," she
said. "It's a great interactive way to have fun with the whole
family." Mary Yamada of Santa
Fe's Kingston Residence has had the Wii Sport at its retirement community for
the past six months, and she said, so far, it's been a hit. "In our
memory-care unit, it's a great way to work on their hand-eye coordination, get
some exercise and still feel like they're in their comfort zone," she
said. "The assisted-living folks love it." But the event wasn't
just all about the Wii. Adam Moskowitz of Posit
Science sat at his booth, with laptop in hand, demonstrating Brain Fitness
software. From identifying and
tracking images that flash to sound-identification drills, Moskowitz said the
home-computer based software , which begins in price at $395, was created to
help stimulate different parts of the brain. "This is designed
to increase brain function — like exercise for the brain," he said.
"These are programs specifically for auditory function and visual
function. Your brain is the most important thing, and seniors realize
that." For Sue Ellen Jacobs,
72, of Alcalde, however, new technology is the last thing on her mind. Her
battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and poor vision makes most
physical activities extremely difficult, so she's ruling out most of the new
gadgets — for now. "I'm not so
intrigued by the Wii system as so much as I am with this other stuff because of
my conditions — not yet, anyway," she said. So Jacobs decided to
stick with more traditional workout methods. Enter Mark Gurulé of
New Mexico Sports and Fitness. "What we do is
meet with seniors to create programs that help them meet their fitness
needs," he said. "Anything from recovering from an injury to helping
individuals with Parkinson's disease to programs that help address osteoporosis
needs to fall prevention. We focus on core training and balance." But after spending an
hour watching the steady stream of visitors flow in and out of the nearby Wii
exhibit, Gurulé said perhaps the future is now. "We're traditional,
but we may incorporate more technology," he said. "I'll still have to
research a little more, but from watching all these seniors using the Wii, it
looks like a workout, and they're having a blast." Rossow, too, admitted
an aversion to technology before the event, but afterwards — not so much. "It was great.
It's so much fun," she said. "I came into this blind, and now I'm in
the 21st century — finally. "I remember when
PacMan first came out in the late (1970s), early '80s — this is night and day
to PacMan. I plan on going out today and buying (a Wii). Just give me a Wii Fit
and glass of wine and I'm set." For more information
about Posit Science, visit www.positscience.com. New Mexico Sports and
Fitness in Santa Fe can be reached at (505) 424-0131.
