The Wii warm-up

 The  British  Chiropractic  Association  (BCA)  is  advising  that  users  undertake  a  ‘Wii  Warm  up’  before  getting  to  grips  with  the  exciting  games.  

In  contrast  to  standard  computer  game  consoles,  the  Wii  encourages  anything  but  a  sedentary  lifestyle.  With  built‐in  motion  sensors,  players  actively  control  characters  and  actions  on  screen  by  physically  playing  out  the  actions  themselves  rather  than  slumpedon  a  couch  moving  just  their  fingers.  

Tim  Hutchful  from  the  British  Chiropractic  Association  comments:  "As  chiropractors  we  are  encouraged  that  this  new  technology  allows  users  to  be  so  active  especially  at  this  time  of  year  when  te  tendency  is  to  do  very  little  except  eat  and  watch  TV!  We  want  people  to  enjoy  these  games,  but  enjoy  them  safely.  Gamers  should  treat  a  ‘Wii  session’  like  any  form  of  exercise  and  warm‐up  adequately  beforehand  to  prevent  stiffness  and  possible  injuries."  

Hutchful  continues:  "Any  unaccustomed  exercise  or  activity  lays  yourself  bare  to  problems  that  could  occur  from  prolonged  periods  of  active  movement,  so  treat  it  like  a  gym  work  out  –  warming  up  and  cooling  down".  

The  BCA  has  developed  a  ‘Wii  Warm  Up’  to  help  users  retain  nimble  fingers  but  avoid  over  exertion:  

1)  Shoulder  Shrug  –  Slowly  shrug  your  shoulders  towards  your  ears.  Hold  for  2/3  seconds,  and  then  relax.  Repeat  3  times.  Because  it  is  easier  to  relax  a  muscle  after  you’ve  tightened  it,  you  will  relax  the  muscles  in  the  shoulder  and  allow  the  blood  to  flow  into  the  arms.