Pokémon GO really does encourage more exercise says study

People who play Pokémon GO are more than twice as likely to hit a target of walking 10,000 steps a day, claims a new study presented to the American Heart Association.

The study covered 167 iPhone users for 50 days and found that left to their own devices, as it were, they walked an average of 5,600 steps a day – just over half the daily suggested number.

But after playing Pokémon GO that average increased to 7,600, and individuals were twice as likely to hit the 10,000 step target.

Not only that but the people who got the least exercise at the start of the study saw the most improvement once they started playing the game, taking almost 3,000 more steps a day on average.

‘It has the potential to work as social media and break the ice of isolation,’ study author Hanzhang Xu told Time magazine. ‘Games like Pokémon GO may provide an alternative way to encourage exercise.’

Although Pokémon GO seemed to be headed towards passing fad status at the end of last year, the addition of 80 new pokémon to the game last month saw it become the most popular app in the world again.

There are plans for further expansion this year, with developer Niantic already indicating that trading and battling will only happen face-to-face, and not online, which will mean even more walking and socialising.

Writer: GameCentral for Metro.co.uk