The Several Health Benefits of Playing ‘Pokémon Go’
The benefits of being outside
Within a short span of time, Pokémon Go has already taken the world by storm. You may wonder what the hell is going on here. As many of us are familiar with, Pokémon is a Nintendo franchise that was launched in the 1990s. In this game, you have the trainers who travel the world in order to catch varied monsters called Pokémon. They then use these critters to fight each other.
Meanwhile, Pokémon Go is not for Nintendo’s handheld consoles. It is a free download for Android and iOS devices. It is different from the previous Pokémon games, as Pokémon Go is an augmented reality game that combines real-world elements with the game.
Pokémon Go utilizes your phone’s GPS and clock, deciding which Pokémon would appear in the game. For example, if you are located at the park, there more bug and grass types appear. In this game, you will not just sit or stay in one place. You have to navigate the real world to catch them all.
This game also has gyms where you can fight gym leaders and PokéStops that are based on real-world locations and serve as venues where players can meet. This game is really exciting as it is considered as the first big augmented reality game, pushing the capability of what an app should be in the future.
Meanwhile, several players attested that this game brought many mental and health benefits. Take a look at the following:
Pokemon Go is definitely lots of fun and for those who spend most of their time in meetings and sitting at a desk, it can serve as a great motivation to get out and play. In this game, you’ll get moving. As you go to PokeStops and PokeGyms, you have to move more slowly to actually visit them through the game. If you want to incubate eggs, you have to walk as well.
As it requires you to go outside, you will discover cool things such as landmarks in a particular area. It may provide some kind of history lesson in many areas. It might spark interest in learning about non-tagged locations as well for some individuals.
This game is very interactive as you’ll get to meet people. There’s a big possibility that you’ll meet people on the same quests. You might be surprised that there are more people you run into at PokeStops.
To catch some Vitamin D during the winter season
During the winter season, people usually hibernate indoors. However, it is still important to snatch some of those important rays, especially when the sun isn’t as strong compared to other seasons. Yes, you will not be able to get as much Vitamin D from the sun during winter but those small snippets from the sun is better than nothing.
Vitamin D or also known as the “sunshine vitamin,” is important to maintaining your health and immune systems. There are some studies that show that vitamin D deficiencies can lead to a number of health problems such as osteoporosis, depression, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.
Playing Pokémon Go will urge you to catch some sunlight, as you have to venture outside in order to snag Snorlaxes, Jigglypuffs, Pikachus and the like. As indicated by the game’s explosive popularity, a lot of people are eager to get out into the world. For those people who wouldn’t be inclined to leave the house and interact with strangers, it may serve as a welcome motivation for them.
Improves the lymphatic system through extra movement
Though the lymphatic system receives little attention to most people, it is one of the most important networks of vessels and tissues. There are kilometers worth of lymphatic vessels that run throughout our bodies, between our tissues, and around all our important structures. Such vessels aid in gathering and removing cellular waste and keeping the fluid levels in check. It also transports the much-needed nutrients to their destinations.
In other words, this is a very important system in our body and we should keep it healthy as it has a big impact on our body’s health and overall function. As physical activity is a great way to keep the body healthy in general, it then automatically benefits the lymphatic system. Without muscle movement, this system cannot move lymph effectively and cannot perform its very important functions.
Playing Pokemon Go will help you to be physically active. The good thing about this game is you will not notice the amount of time that you are already spending as you are enjoying the game. Thus, you will be inclined to move a lot, benefitting your lymphatic system as well as other part of your body.
Psychological health
Pokemon Go is also beneficial to one’s mental well-being. While playing, you may have to spend time in nature which can improve one’s attention spans, boosts in serotonin (the feel good neurotransmitter) and increases activity in the parts of the brain which is responsible for empathy, emotional stability, and love. So, if you’re feeling down, just go outside and you can do that more enjoyable with this game.
Spending time outdoors is also one great way to reduce stress and even depression. Some people who played Pokemon Go reported mood elevation, which affects one’s overall health.
