Pensioners get fit with Wii games

Portsmouth City Council also paid for extra remote controls

Pensioners at a Hampshire day centre have been using games consoles to help them keep fit.

Age Concern bought the Nintendo Wii for visitors at the Bradbury Centre in Portsmouth along with controllers and the Wii Sport game.

The game is being used to help users improve their co-ordination and balance and has so far proved popular.

The charity has said the scheme is so successful it may extend it to other centres in the city.

Portsmouth City Council also paid for extra remote controls, nunchuck controllers and a large television through a residents liaison scheme.

Day centre visitor Doris Brand who has used the Wii said: "It's great fun and you can even sit down to do it."

Kevin Sprangle, resident participation officer, said: "We were happy to help.

"It's great that older people in Portsmouth are getting to grips with a console like a Wii, and that there's something available to people to help with exercise and co-ordination, which is fun and relatively easy to do."