CONTEXT: Dynamic balance is a critical aspect of everyday life that can be affected by a variety of factors including age and injury. Three systems work together in order to sustain one's balance. When training to improve balance, each system must be utilized, which can occur by performing traditional (TRAD) balance exercises or the Nintendo Wii Fit balance training exercises. To date, the majority of studies investigating the use of the Nintendo Wii Fit utilize elderly patients, whereas the current study utilizes young physically active patients. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to examine if the Nintendo Wii Fit balance training program is more enjoyable and improves dynamic balance to the same degree as a TRAD balance training program. SUBJECTS: A total of 89 (60 females, 29 males) participants began the study with 72 (52 females, 20 males) finishing the study. The control group was made up of 25 participants, the TRAD group comprised 25 participants, and the Wii group included 22 participants. METHODS: The star excursion balance test (SEBT) was utilized in the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions to test dynamic balance before and after intervention. The TRAD and WII groups performed their training three times a week for 12-15 minutes for four weeks. Following each intervention the participants completed a seven item questionnaire regarding their enjoyment of the balance training. RESULTS: There were no significance differences on total SEBT scores on either leg for time by group (right leg p=.518;left leg p=.647), but there was significance on both legs for the main effect of time (right leg p=.00;left leg p=.00). A significant difference was indicated for the right leg between groups with the TRAD group being higher than the control group for the posterior medial direction (p=.013). The only interaction to indicate a significant difference in individual directions was in the posterior lateral direction for the right leg (p=.05). Specifically, the TRAD group was higher than the control group; however, both groups were lower at the post-test compared to the pre-test. A significant difference between groups for both the right (p=.002) and left leg (p=.003) in the posterior lateral direction was indicated. When examining enjoyment the WII group was significantly higher than the TRAD group after 4 weeks (p=.000) of balance training. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that there were similar balance improvements among the WII and TRAD group, therefore, both programs can be used interchangeably for balance training exercises in young physically active adults. The current study found that enjoyment scores were higher in the WII group compared to the TRAD group
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