IS POKÉMON GO GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH?

WE ASK THE EXPERTS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF PLAYING THE GAME

While some have been concerned about safety with regards to Pokémon Go, many have been equally keen to explore potential health benefits to playing the game. There have, for instance, been a number of anecdotes about people with anxiety or other mental health issues finding Pokémon Go helpful in getting outside and interacting with strangers.

“We know that exercise, getting outdoors and socialising are all beneficial towards supporting good mental health. Given this, it is perhaps not surprising that some users of Pokémon Go are reporting mental health benefits,” senior media officer of the Mental Health Foundation Cal Strode informs us. “Though formal links between augmented reality gaming and mental health have not yet been established, it is good to hear that people are finding new platforms and activities that work well for them.”

Likewise there are those who have pointed to potential physical health benefits from the way the game encourages you to walk around and cover large distances in order to hatch eggs. “It’s likely most Pokémon Go players are not moving fast enough to get the full metabolic benefits of being physically active; research shows we need to be moving at a minimum of a brisk walk, around 3 miles an hour, for at least ten minutes to gain the full physical health benefits,” says Justin Varney on the UK government’s Public Health Matters blog. “But mental wellbeing benefits and some musculoskeletal benefits are gained by breaking up sedentary activity. Just getting outside, exploring and connecting with the environment and other people is probably having a positive impact on health (provided people remain aware of their surroundings and don’t trip over!)

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from
http://www.accessibilityforum.org/pokemon-go-good-health/