After a 2007 helicopter crash in Italy left Army Sgt. Mark Lalli’s brain and body damaged, the road to recovery took him to an unexpected place.
A cyber bowling alley.
The James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa finds itself at the vanguard of a therapeutic revolution at the Department of Veterans Affairs, using a popular video game to bring veterans back from the brink.
One recent day at Haley, Lalli faced a wide-screen television hooked up to a Nintendo Wii (pronounced WE) game system.
Using a motion-sensitive controller in one hand, the 23-year-old swung his arm as if rolling a bowling ball while standing with help from a therapist. On the screen, a ball flew down the alley, clearing pins with all the sound-effects of reality. A spare.
Teens on the northwest side of Indianapolis will have an innovative way to stay in shape, thanks to the opening of the new XRKade Teen Center at the Jordan YMCA. The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis will open its second XRKade Teen Center during its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Jordan YMCA, 8400 Westfield Blvd., Indianapolis.
The XRKade, developed by iTech, offers interactive video games that promote physical activity through an immersive experience driven by the popular Nintendo Wii video games. Middle school and high school teens from Washington Township Schools will be in attendance to help celebrate the grand opening. Advertisement
The new XRKade, will offer youth, ages 10 to 18, a variety of games that promote physical activity. Children and teens can choose from games that include tennis, golf, biking, snow boarding, motocross racing and a tread wall. The Jordan YMCA will have a total of 12 game stations available for youth.
A patent-pending peripheral called "riiflex" plans to turn your Wiimotes into dumbells through the magic of 2lb and 5lb cases. I have to admit, the design is clever enough, including even a trigger port to allow unfettered access to all the Wiimote’s buttons.
Available for preorder deposit (the real price is still undecided, though estimated around $30 per unit), the main nitpick we have so far is that there’s no nunchuk version planned…(yet).
A small clip of the sequel to last year’s Deca Sports, coming out later this year for the Wii. Do you think there are there too many sports games for the Wii?
Calling all couch potatoes: Those television sets, iPhones and yes, even video game consoles may actually provide some of the momentum you need to begin to shed those pounds this year.
But exercise experts and fitness fanatics say while it may be a push in the right direction, working out to an instructional video game or downloading yoga classes on your iPhone won’t transform your pudgy frame to svelte form in a timely fashion.
"The nice thing about the Wii Fit or the iPhone, or any technological thing, is it’s more likely to entice younger people," explains Rod Macdonald, the executive director of Can-Fit Pro, an organization which certifies personal trainers.
"But people aren’t going to be fitness fanatics because of an iPhone."
Last spring, Nintendo Wii introduced Wii Fit with much fanfare and a revolutionary idea: people could put on their stretchy white yoga pants and work out at home in front of their video game console.
There is no doubt that any Wii owner interested in My Fitness Coach will immediately compare it to Wii Fit. Both are great exercise games, but they take two very different approaches. Where Wii Fit gave off a casual workout vibe (a sweat inducing vibe nonetheless), My Fitness Coach comes at you more like an aerobics DVD.
Let’s get one item out of the way up front. My Fitness Coach does not use the Wii Balance Board. The Balance Board works wonders for its pioneer outing, but it’s still a more casual approach overall. Trust me though, even without the Balance Board, My Fitness Coach will give you one heck of a workout.
My Fitness Coach starts out with a fitness analysis to determine the level of shape you are in. You will be asked to enter expected information such as you name, gender, weight, height, and date of birth; but things get even more technical from here.
After a 2007 helicopter crash in Italy left Army Sgt. Mark Lalli’s brain and body damaged, the road to recovery took him to an unexpected place.
Teens on the northwest side of Indianapolis will have an innovative way to stay in shape, thanks to the opening of the new XRKade Teen Center at the Jordan YMCA. The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis will open its second XRKade Teen Center during its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Jordan YMCA, 8400 Westfield Blvd., Indianapolis. 
Calling all couch potatoes: Those television sets, iPhones and yes, even video game consoles may actually provide some of the momentum you need to begin to shed those pounds this year. 
There is no doubt that any Wii owner interested in My Fitness Coach will immediately compare it to Wii Fit. Both are great exercise games, but they take two very different approaches. Where Wii Fit gave off a casual workout vibe (a sweat inducing vibe nonetheless), My Fitness Coach comes at you more like an aerobics DVD. 
