Nintendo’s Wii gaming system is all the rage, but a large subset of its many fans are senior citizens.

The Wii is sweeping retirement communities and seniors are able to participate in games they once enjoyed because the motions of the games approximate sports like tennis, golf or bowling, and people of all ability levels can participate.

Retirement communities and seniors are embracing the new Wii Fit for fun and exercise, and even rehabilitation, termed “Wiihab”:

“Fitness-oriented video games are also being used more and more in nursing homes for rehabilitation,” Stanley-Green said, providing a fun way to help elderly people expand their range of motion.

There’s also a little competition going on, too.

Last year, an 84-year-old woman beat a real-life bowling champ in Wii bowling at a Washington DC nursing home, and other seniors are hoping to get enough practice to challenge their grandchildren to a game or two.

Some nursing homes even have area children come in and instruct the residents in the games and it benefits both the residents and the young instructors. The residents enjoy the children and the familiar Wii can make children feel more comfortable in a sometimes scary place.

No matter the motivation, older people are benefiting from the the Wii with new activities, increased mobility and socialization. However, with so many seniors using the Wii, I’d like to see some games marketed just for them.