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The athletic training room at the University of Detroit Mercy just got a whole lot more popular as rehabilitation has started taking on a whole new look. 

It's also begun taking on a new moniker: Wii-hab. Its the punned-up name given to athletic rehab which incorporates a Nintendo Wii gaming console. 

The Titans recently added one of the systems, as well as a 40-inch flat screen television for the athletic training room to enhance their rehab regimen. 

According to Mike Miller, Director of Sports Medicine at UDM, incorporating video games into workouts and into athletic rehabilitation programs is nothing new. 

“Quite a few years ago they started looking at some video games, like Dance, Dance Revolution and found that people were using the game, getting in a good sweat and a good workout,” Miller said. “What some of our colleagues in the field, what they've found is that when they incorporated (video games) into their rehabilitation programs they had great response from the student-athletes and it has helped them get students back on the playing field quickly.” 

Rehabbing athletes typically work on injured areas using items such as elastic bands, light weights, balance disks, steps and towels. Most exercises are designed to get the athletes to strengthen not only the injured body part but also the muscles and structures around the body part to help prevent future injuries. 

With the Wii, exercises still have the same aim, but rather than simply looking at a white brick wall, athletes have something to interact with. 

“We still do our daily activities, but we used to just progress from doing single-leg balance drills, to closing one eye, to using a balance disk. That becomes tedious and boring,” said Miller. “Now, we're incorporating the same types of activities, the balance, the coordination, but we give them a visual feedback.” 

The training staff has already designed rehab plans using the Wii Fit game and pad, Wii Sports and Shaun White's Snowboarding. 

Miller believes that making the rehab more fun and engaging is the reason it helps athletes recover from injuries, because if an athlete isn't having fun they won't want to come to rehab, and an athlete who doesn't come to rehab isn't going to get any better. 

“There's a lot more athletes in here now,” said senior women's basketball player Heather Hatter. “It's more fun.” 

Hatter is currently rehabbing her second torn ACL and has been Wii-habbing for several months. 

“Before, rehab just seemed boring and long. I didn't really want to do it,” she said. But after incorporating the Wii into her routine, Hatter doesn't mind the time she spends in the training room as much. 

“With the Wii we do the same exercises that we did before, but it's actually fun,” Hatter explained. “For example, I hate step-ups. But one of the things I've noticed is that I'm getting more of a workout when I use the Wii, and I start doing the exercises and the next I know it's been 45 minutes and I've gotten in a good workout.” 

Miller said the response to the gaming system among the athletes has been great. 

“We get an overwhelming number of athletes in here now that want to do the exercises and want to play,” he said. “I've even got my staff and other staff in Calihan Hall who want to come in and use it.” 

While Miller is pleased that the athletes and the athletics staff enjoy the Wii so much, the main thing for the sports medicine staff is that it actually works. 

“I've tried it out and I could feel it working the right areas,” Miller said. “And we see results for the athletes that are using it in the short time that we've had it.” 

It's all been positive so far, but Miller and his staff will continue to look for new games and new exercises involving the Wii to make rehab more fun and effective for a long time to come.