The GameCycle lets kids, adults and seniors “play their way” to better fitness. For kids, the GameCycle provides a challenge that many of them seek out on their own — the challenge of videogames. But, now while playing their favorite racing videogame, kids are getting a great workout too. For fitness centers, YMCAs, and Community Centers, the GameCycle offers the kind of innovative exercise outlet that brings people through the door. Upper body exercise outlets are often under-represented in exercise facilities — in part because standard arm ergometers are considered boring. The GameCycle shatters that boring image by offering upper-body exercise merged with videogames.
While appealing to a general audience, the GameCycle also makes your facility attractive to a growing population of people (especially as baby boomers age) with mobility disabilities who are unable to exercise with their legs. For people who cannot exercise with their legs, the GameCycle represents a tailor-made innovation: Upper-body exercise merged with gameplay.
The GameCycle in Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Centers:
“Seniors, just like the general population, seek out exercise that is entertaining and motivating. We have seen this first hand: The reception of the GameCycle among seniors has been outstanding. Part of the reason for the enthusiastic response is that the GameCycle is simple and makes video games easy to play – all you do is crank and steer. The GameCycle takes away a barrier that often exists for older people — the complex and often intimidating game controllers for common videogames.
While the GameCycle is fun, it also offers serious benefits for seniors. For example, for those who have experienced stroke, the GameCycle provides important cognitive and motor benefits during rehabilitation. Importantly, the GameCycle allows the crank speed necessary to play the video games to be adjusted so that even when cranking slow, the game can still be played. Finally, because resistance levels can be adjusted, and because each game has a variety of “challenge” levels, there is maximum flexibility as one’s motor abilities improve.
The GameCycle. So Much More than Just Upper Body Exercise.
Get the excitement of playing Nintendo GameCube racing games while getting a great upper body workout! Speed is controlled by turning the arm cranks, and steering is controlled by tilting the cranks left and right. Adjustable resistance, hand grips, and height settings lets you customize your workout! See some of the key benefits below
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- A user-friendly touch screen interface
- Cranking can be easily set to be in-line (non-reciprocal) or not in-line (reciprocal)
- Crank lengths that can be quickly adjusted to match the needs of the user
- A side to side tilt feature for steering (for gameplay) that can be turned off to mimic a standard arm-ergometer
- Height of the GameCycle can now be adjusted so the person can be sitting or standing
Neuro Rehab Benefits
Because GameCycle users match upper extremity movement to visual feedback from the videogame and because both arms must work in unison to control the game, there are a variety of neuromuscular reeducation and neuro-rehab benefits including:
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- Addressing Strength Asymmetries
- Bilateral Integration
- Visual-Motor Integration
- Coordination and Balance
Therapeutic Exercise Benefits
When exercise becomes as addictive as gaming, the benefits are comprehensive:
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- Better Endurance/Cardiovascular Fitness
- Strength Training
- Improved Range of Motion
- Increased Core Stability
These benefits result in improved functioning in activities of daily living, increased self-esteem, and improved rehabilitation outcomes. And, your patients are having fun at the same time.
Improved Compliance
Having some fun during rehab and while you exercise means you will exercise more. The gaming challenge of the GameCycle encourages exercise and facilitates adherence to rehabilitation and exercise regimens in the clinic or at home. To read more about this, click here for an article about the GameCycle in Advance Magazine.
End-User Populations
The GameCycle is used by children, adults, and seniors. In the clinic, the GameCycle is used by people who have experienced stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, and other neurological disorders or diseases of the spine. To learn more about the GameCycle in other settings such as schools, YMCAs, fitness centers, and retirement communities, click here.
For more information [click here]
Available at Exergame Fitness USA | 847-963-8969