Wii Fit as Balance Assessment and Training

Overview

Balance play a vital role to increase motor skills in healthy young adults. With increasing age balance control ability decreases,this decline can result as early as mid-30s. In young adults focus on improving anticipatory postural control so risk of lower extremity injuries especially ankle and knee injuries can be minimized and future risk of fall can be minimized.Objective is To compare the effect of traditional versus Wii fit training on balance in young adults the participants were randomly assigned into two groups interventional and control. total 18 minutes session was given to both groups wii fit group and traditional balance training group. all participants were given 3 sessions per week for 6. participants were initially accessed initially for eligibility , these participants were randomly divided into wii fit and traditional training group through sealed enveloped method . the initial assessment was done on wii fit. balance intervention to wii fit group is different games available on wii fit software. balance intervention given to traditional group is on trampoline and on BOSU ball.

Balance is an integral part of human ability. Whether for daily activities in life or sports related activities, humans rely on body balance and it affects peoples successful performance.To maintain balance, individuals must control their center of mass (COM) location over the base of support (BOS) during both voluntary movements, and in response to external, destabilizing forces. Exercises play an important role in balance improvement and fall prevention. Physiotherapists can help individuals to train their central nervous system to respond to different sensory challenges through balance control exercises. Falls are a leading public health concern with statistics reporting that 30 percent of adults 65 years of age and older, and 50 per cent of those 80 years of age and older, experience a fall annually. Research highlights the importance of patient-orientated, balance-targeted exercises, which draw focus to a sense of body position in space. virtual reality and video gaming programs for improving balance. An increasingly popular system for virtual reality balance training is the Nintendo Wii. Nintendo Wii real-time device is somatosensory gaming comprises the balance board, software, and database it is used for balance assessment are balance training purpose. Virtual reality balance training typically requires participants to produce discrete, controlled movements to and beyond their base of support in response to visual targets. A force plate measures the performance of the participant and can provide online feedback of postural control. Literature shows its high levels of usability and enjoyment with no serious adverse effects. Findings of research on effects of the Nintendo Wii Fit on Community-Dwelling Adults with Perceived Balance Deficits suggest that an intervention program including the Wii fit may be an effective rehabilitation option for adults with perceived balance deficits. The advantage of the Nintendo Wii with Wii Balance Board (WBB) is that it not only offers an alternative balance exercise-training tool but it can also record balance measurements. The WBB is more portable than heavy and expensive laboratory equipment while still providing valid and reliable measurements. A recent study evaluated the validity of the WBB in measuring balance variables.There are number of exercise training that are used for balance improvement including tai chi, yoga , task specific training. Some of them showed marked improvement in balance while others have little or no improvement. The use of exergaming for different types of rehabilitation has established great interest particularly Nintendo Wii .Wii fit is has been used for balance training from the past few years in an individual with balance impairment as well as in healthy individuals, it is a novel and in expansive method of balance training in WBB use improve the visual perception, postural control, mobility, motor function and also decrease the risk of fall . Different games are used in WBB including Balance training, Yoga, strength training, aerobic training. Few studies used the control group along with Wii fit group to determine its effectiveness in balance training. Different clinical test for balance assessment was used before and after balance training including Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Fullerton Advance Balance test(FAB) test, Time up and go test (TUG), Functional Reach Test (FR) in different studies.A study showed that balance interventions involving the Wii Fit system have relied on the balance-specific exer-games it involve Wii Fit balance games, yoga games rely on static balance control. Despite this broad mission, the Wii Fit has generated specific interest in the domain of neurorehabilitation as a measurement and training device for balance ability. Balance control increases with increasing age as early as mid-30s .Balance control increases with increasing age as early as mid-30s This study aimed to assess the balance error in healthy young adults of our society as well as their balance training by using Wii fit and traditional balance training. By providing balance training to young population we intended to improve feed forward postural control, improve motor skills and decrease chances of lower extremity injuries