Nintendo’s latest video game system, the Wii, is proving to be popular among adults as well as kids. Health care professionals also say the Wii can provide a good workout for anyone, especially seniors.

The system features motion-sensitive hand controllers, which allow users to play sports-theme games, like bowling, as if they were actually in a bowling alley.

Frances Spiller, DO, of Samaritan Internal Medicine in Corvallis, said the ‘Wii Workout’ has become a craze that’s getting kids and adults off the couch and their hearts soaring.

“It can be used to supplement your routine and make it more invigorating,” Spiller said. She recommended exercising 30 minutes three times a week, and she said a ‘Wii Workout’ is a good option.

“It allows people that no longer can go out and bowl, play tennis or golf, to enjoy these games again,” said Sarah Redfern, RN, at Samaritan Wiley Creek Community in Sweet Home. The retirement center is planning to buy a Wii system with a grant from the Lebanon Community Hospital Foundation.

Another benefit, Redfern said, is the social interaction as players compete with each other. “Research has shown that activity and social interaction strengthens a portion of the brain that involves memory and cognitive health. It can also help lower blood pressure and fight depression.”

Spiller said it’s important to stretch before using the Wii, and she recommended that you make sure there’s enough free space between you, anyone playing with you, and the television.

“There have been cases where workout partners have hit one another with their controller or lost their grip on the controller, ending in broken televisions and lamps,” she said.