Wii Fit can help players shed a few pounds, and it apparently has other notable uses. Julie Wilks discovered she had Parkinson’s disease thanks in part to Nintendo’s balance board.
I was doing brilliantly on all the games, I was a great skier and snowboarder and it told me my Wii fit age was 13 years younger than I am. But when it came to stepping onto the balance game it was showing on the screen that I was leaning on my left foot more heavily than the other, said Wilks. There was a huge footprint on the screen and everyone was joking saying I was doing it on purpose. It stuck in my mind afterward and what I started to recognize as symptoms steadily got worse.
In the beginning the symptoms that I had were so subtle that I adapted myself without realising. I am left-handed but started texting on my phone and using the computer mouse with my right, noted Wilks. I started buying more sensible shoes with velcro and flat heels but never questioned why I felt odd in my stilettos and couldn’t walk safely in them any more. When I knew something was definitely wrong I still didn’t get help because I thought I had sleep problems because of stress or vice versa. I live alone so I had no one to notice I had a problem. At work I managed to muddle through but no one was sure what was wrong with me, apart from that I was always tired.
After going to a neurologist, Wilks found out she had Parkinson’s. It’s quite amazing that a computer game was able to point out there was a problem. I certainly hadn’t realised that myself, she said. I’m so grateful that I was playing the game that day and that it ended in my diagnosis. What an amazing piece of technology.
Life continues for Julie, including raising awareness of Parkinson’s, plans to drive Route 66 and a new copy of Wii Fit she bought herself. The Wii fit makes it much easier to exercise. I can take it as easy as I need to and sometimes part of the problem is getting where you need to be to exercise, this way I can just set myself up at home, said Wilks.
Source: Daily Mail
