Wii Shoulder Treatment on Spa Menus to join Blackberry Thumb Massage at Spas?

I felt really ‘out of it.’ Sitting at lunch with my niece Christa (17), my brother Rolf (49), his girlfriend Stacey (40), my step-daughter Courtney (30), and her girlfriend, Tana (28ish). They are all talking about the Wii and in particular the Wii Fit and how much they love, love, love it!

It’s fun, they get a great workout, use it all the time, etc.

Well, this is something new. All of these people – guys, gals, at various ages all LIKING exercise? And the same program? I decided that I needed to find out more – and get ‘with it’.

I have been hearing about the Wii for a while but have never experienced it and didn’t even know there was a Wii Fit. So I asked my brother (who is visiting from Austin) to buy me a Wii while he was out sightseeing and shopping in New York. I learned long ago that if you are going to be in the Internet business, you really do have to keep up with what is going on. Thus, earlier in the year I bought the Kindle (a wireless reading device), Peter got the I-Phone (phone, I-pod, Internet), and I realize we are a bit late to the Wii.

Apparently Wii’s are hard to get – sold out at most places. But they were able to find one at Toys R Us – although there were no Wii Fits anywhere.

My 17-year-old niece installed it on my living room TV at my apartment (in about three minutes) and we got started. Basically there was a six-inch long sensor that she put on top of my TV which is connected to the Wii and another cord which is plugged into the TV. We started with tennis. The person or persons playing, each hold a remote in their hands which simulates a tennis racket. Play begins. Very realistic…and I found out I was as bad at tennis with the Wii as I am on the courts. And my usual problem of hitting the ball too late seems to have transferred. Later we tried bowling, then golf.

Seems like a cross between a video game and sports. And I have to agree, it was amazing. It was fun (social) and I could imagine how you would improve your game and that a fitness version could engage you in exercise. Bottom line is that I am not sure everyone needs to own one…but learning about and experiencing the technology does open your eyes to new possibilities.

Finally, I learned that my niece has ‘Wii Shoulder’ which apparently is a stress injury from playing the game too much.

And so I wonder…will ‘Wii Shoulder Treatment’ start appearing on spa menus like ‘Blackberry Thumb Massage’?

Alas…I suppose so.