Nintendo Ring Fit: 18 months later my shoulder is still bust
Despite following every instruction and using an easy setting I noticed some pain in my left shoulder / top of my arm and so I stopped for a few days. The trick for any pain is to avoid exercising the area and let it rest sufficiently. I then tried Ring Fit a week later and noticed the pain again after playing for 30 minutes so I left it.
The pain started to affect how I could move my left arm and it was then that I realised some proper damage had been done. I stopped all upper body exercises and stuck to walking and running, but alas the pain did not go away.
Fast forward to now and 6 months later the pain is still there and movement in my left arm is seriously inhibited. I have had injections, dry needling, strapping and multiple osteopath appointments to help it heal, but the process is very long for a rotator cuff injury and so the process will continue.
I wrote the above last November and have now stopped treatment, but have to undertake specific exercises every day to strengthen my shoulder and the surrounding muscles. The injury happened in April 2020 and 18 months later it looks as though my shoulder will never be the same again.
My daughter's driving instructor did his rotator cuff 6 years ago and still struggles so it really is not the kind of injury you want. You can live with it, but it is often a very long term injury and potentially something you will have to live with forever more.
I asked my son to try the Ring Fit and he stopped after 60 seconds. He goes to the gym every day, is extremely fit even for someone who is 21, and his immediately felt uncomfortable using it. To quote him "why would I put that much pressure on my arms and shoulders above my head?" He then looked at what else you needed to do while playing and gave up.
Now, I am not saying that the Ring Fit hurts people. How could I possibly say that when Nintendo has so much power and money? I am just saying to be aware that these exercises are unusual and that if you have not done anything like them before to be aware of any signs of trouble early on.