As if leading the industry in console sales wasn’t enough by appealing to the casual gaming masses, the Nintendo Wii has found yet another outlet to be successful. Injured athletes and patients requiring strength training just may find themselves playing Wii Fit as part of their rehabilitation regime.

Sue Stanley-Green, a professor of athletic training in Florida Southern College stated that Wii Fit and other fitness oriented games have great potential for strengthening one’s core and rehabilitating injured patients who otherwise have problems with current rehab practices.

"We are looking to incorporate Wii Fit into the athletic training room as far as rehabilitation, for example, on post-operative knees and ankles," Stanley-Green stated on a telephone interview.

Doctors have already begun researching the benefits of videogames such as Wii Fit which utilize upper body movement and balance to assist rehab in patients requiring weight-based exercises to help them recover from injury or surgery. Stanley-Green went on to say, "Fitness oriented videogames are also being used more and more in nursing homes for rehabilitation." The use of the console provides the elderly with a fun way to expand their range of motion.

Rehabilitation centers and nursing homes alike have faced problems with keeping patients interested in tedious and repetitive workout routines. The entertainment value inherent in videogames is hoped to boost compliance with rehabilitation and doctors hope it will eventually improve outcomes of their rehab efforts.