The Health Benefits of Pokemon Go

Happy Monday, and welcome to Medical Mondays!

Don’t you be giving me that look. This week’s topic qualifies (although I do have an obvious bias). It is a “just for fun” topic though, as that’s what games are meant to be.

My inner (and outer) nerd is super happy. :]

On the offchance that your facebook feed has not been flooded by status updates of Pokemon Go, it’s a free-to-play augmented reality game that you can download onto your smartphone, and allows players to capture, battle, train and trade virtual Pokemon who appear in the “real world!”

I was just about the age of Ash Ketchum when Pokemon first came out, so it definitely speaks to my childhood. I was banned from TV at a young age, but my parents decided to let us off with ~1 hour of TV a day when Pokemon came out because we were so excited about it. I guess they didn’t want to dash our hopes and dreams of becoming the Pokemon trainers we were meant to be.

Sean and I have been waiting for this to come out for a while–we were re-playing the original versions of Pokemon on DS and battling each other back in May when I was bumming at his place.

Although there were a lot of game crashes when it first came out, a lot of it has been ironed out. If you use it well and play as it was intended, the health benefits of Pokemon Go are many!

Going Outside

What I really like about this game is the fact that it encourages people to go outside and walk around.

One might argue that this is only further worsening the screen time problem that we have right now, but my thought is…if the alternative would’ve been sitting in a basement staring at a computer screen all day anyway, at least this is making people leave the house. (Yay for fresh air and sunlight!)

Built-in Exercise

Yes, there have definitely been a lot of people who’ve been trying to cheat the system by driving from Poke Stop to Poke Stop to collect items…but if you want any chance of your Pokemon eggs hatching, you’re going to have to walk it (or bike/skateboard very, very slowly).

Studies have shown that walking reduces the risk of cardiovascular events by 31% and also cut the risk of dying during the study period by 32%–even at distances of 5.5 miles/week and a pace of 2 miles/hour. People who walked longer distances, at a faster pace, or both, enjoyed the greatest protection. Don’t believe me? At least believe Harvard!

(Don’t be like my friend and attach it to a Roomba. That defeats the purpose. ._.)

Getting To Know Your Area

Or wherever it is that you’re visiting!

Pokemon Go came out at the tail end of my first week of residency orientation, so I was still re-acclimating to the area. I’m rather ecstatic that I’m in a place where I can actually walk again (my town has a walk score of 73!), and it was fun getting to learn little tidbits about different places that I visited!

Meeting New People

Almost everyone I’ve met is from my residency, but out in the world that’s not my residency, I’ve been able to discern the Pokemon Go players from their tendency to crowd at Poke Stops with lure modules, or even just when they’d be walking on the street and would stop randomly and shuffle off to the side to swipe at their screen.

I think Pokemon Go did a great job in allowing for camaraderie and friendships to be built from this game, for instance, in having separate Pokemon appear on every player’s screens instead of a single one for everyone to fight over. (I’m still hoping for trading and friends lists to hopefully happen though!)

I’ve struck up many a conversation (or vice versa) over the last week with random strangers I probably never would’ve spoken to otherwise. One girl saw me chillin’ by a fire station and asked, “Are you catching Pokemon right now?”

Me: …Yes. :D…
: Oh my god, me too! I’m so glad I’m not the only one! My boyfriend’s at home and doesn’t know I’ve been out for the last half hour walking through the park and exploring the town!! He’d probably think I was crazy!
Me: Nonsense! You’re getting exercise and having fun! …and you’re definitely not alone. :]

She apparently works at the cookie shop in town, so I’m going to have to stop by sometime. :P

My interactions with other players have been a lot of fun. We trade tips and stories, talk about life, and/or go on self-made quests to hatch eggs, catch Pokemon, and level up together (I may or may not have trekked through a nearby park with a Rutgers sophomore pre-med here for summer session).

There are lots of benefits to this game, but with great power comes great responsibility like with all else in life, things can be abused (aka everything in moderation!).

Play wisely, and please exercise caution and be alert and aware of your surroundings. Please don’t play this while you’re driving or crossing the street! Safety first!

---

Disclaimer: The statements made on this blog should not be taken as medical advice to treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please contact your own physician or health care provider before starting a health or fitness/wellness program. (See full disclaimer here.)

• Have you ever played Pokemon? What are your thoughts on Pokemon Go?
• #TeamMystic!?