Pokémon Go may have health benefits

Playing Pokemon Go has real-life positive health consequences, according to scientists.

To progress in the game, players or ‘trainers’ must walk around to find and catch Pokemon and access specific locations called Pokestops.

Getting to Pokestops, catching different Pokemon and hatching the Poke eggs requires lots of walking. ‘Playing the game is a lot of fun, and it has been a catalyst to get people moving,’ said Matt Hoffman, clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Nursing in the US.

In addition to inspiring exercise, playing Pokemon Go may have additional benefits. Additionally, families may find that Pokemon Go lessens the technology tension that divides the generations. ‘This is a relatively non-violent game, and I have seen families walking around playing the game together,’ Hoffman said.

Multiply the number of Pokemon Go players by the number of kilometers they must travel to progress in the game, and the chances of negative consequences increase, researchers said