Seniors Can Play Grandchildren's Video Games and Improve Balance

According to a recent study, American grandparents are more actively involving in bringing up of their grandchildren.

These grandparents can now use their little one's video games to improve their balance as according to the findings of a new study, playing specifically developed video games like the Nintendo Wii can help older people to improve their balance and avoid falls.

Each year, one in every three adults aged 65 or older falls, causing hip fractures and head injuries. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the leading causes of injury deaths among older adults in the country.

"Improving balance and gait can play an important role in helping older people avoid falls and injury as well as improving their mobility confidence," Professor Cathy Craig, who led the study, said in a news release. "The games designed in this project to build better balance were formulated with older people in mind. Older people who played the games enjoyed an improvement in both static and dynamic balance. This approach proved to be a fun way of achieving these benefits in a novel, stimulating and cost-effective manner."

Craig from Queen's University, Belfast and a team of researchers from Trinity College, Dublin proved the effectiveness of video games in improving balance and gait on participants in Dublin and Belfast.

"This research highlights an engaging way for older people to improve their balance and mobility, helping them to avoid falls and serious injury. This brings great personal benefits for older people and financial gains for society as a whole," Professor Bob Stout, Co-Chair of Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI), explained.

Following are some of the tips from CDC to prevent older adults from falling:

*Devote a regular time everyday for exercise, particularly exercises related to increasing leg strength and improving balance, like Tai Chi programs.

*Identify the medicines that cause dizziness or drowsiness.

*Subject older adults to regular eye check up at least once in a year and get a pair of single vision distance lenses for walking outside.

*Install grab bars inside and outside tub, next to toilet, shower and add railings on stairways and improve lighting facilities inside the house.