10 Jul 2018

Many fitness fanatics will spend a huge amount of time and effort on improving their health and wellbeing. They will go to the gym x amounts of time a week, watch what they eat, perhaps engage practices such as meditation, and they will not over-indulge in certain things, such as alcohol. By the same token, they will avoid other things, for example gaming. However, this may be a mistake, as an increasing body of scientific data suggests that gaming can be really good for your health.
 
If you are into fitness, then you probably want to stay active. Gaming can actually help with this. There is a new type of video game called exergaming, in which you interact with the game in a physical way, often using your body as the controller. Examples of this genre of the video game include the Nintendo Wii and the Xbox Kinect. Some are hopeful that this type of game can replace the gym in the next couple of decades, and that they can prove to be useful weapons in the fight against inactivity and obesity in both children and adults. In fact, there is extensive scientific data to suggest that exergaming can increase activity. For example, the NIH found reviewed the evidence on its effect on activity levels, and 27 studies found that it increased activity levels to up to 300% greater than resting levels, which means that fitness fanatics need no longer turn their nose up at video games.
 
As well as improving fitness, gaming can also, according to research, improve your cognitive health, can help to manage pain, has promising application in healthcare, and it can also help treat mental health conditions.
 
To find out more about the health benefits of gaming, see the infographic from Computer Planet, which outlines further examples.
 




 

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