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Fishing

Designed to challenge both body and mind, Fishing offers a dynamic and enjoyable experience. This activity promotes coordination, attention to task, and range of motion as users employ natural fishing motions to cast, reel in, and place their catch into a bucket.

Clinical Validation​

  • Strengthens upper-extremity musculature through VR casting mechanics — Users position the fishing rod behind the shoulder and perform a controlled casting motion. This movement activates shoulder flexion/extension, elbow extension, and wrist coordination—mirroring therapeutic reaching and throwing patterns used in upper-extremity rehabilitation.
  • Supports range-of-motion and functional reach training in VR — Retrieving fish and placing them into a bucket reinforces reaching, grasping, and object placement. Clinicians can adjust bucket height to progressively challenge shoulder elevation and reach distance.
  • Enables therapist-directed progression through adjustable difficulty — The tablet interface allows clinicians to modify fish spawning locations, task difficulty, and bucket height, enabling graded training of coordination, motor planning, and functional movement.
    enhance motor planning, proprioception, and motivation.​
  • Evidence Supporting Fishing as a Health-Promoting Activity — Research on recreational fishing shows associations with reduced stress, improved mood, and increased participation in low-impact physical activity among older adults. Fishing also promotes sustained attention and engagement, supporting cognitive stimulation and overall wellbeing.

References

  • Laver, K., et al. (2017). Virtual reality for stroke rehabilitation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
  • El-Kafy, E. M. A., & Alshehri, M. A. (2021). Virtual reality-based therapy for upper limb recovery after stroke. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.
  • Hunt, W., & McManus, A. (2015). Recreational fishing supports health and wellbeing. Health Promotion Journal of Australia.

*Note: These findings derive from studies not completed with this specific Fishing VR app and are cited for therapeutic relevance—not as direct validation of the Fishing VR app.