Pokémon Go Players Move More
Game players walk more.
Fitness pros: Partner up with game designers! Augmented reality games may be a way to promote physical activity on a broad scale. A research review showed that Pokémon Go game players typically increased their steps by 1,446 per day, suggesting that this game and others like it may be good tools for boosting activity. Researchers noted that games can be improved to provide greater incentives for physical activity.
Look for the study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2020; 58 [2], 270–82).
See also: Get in the Game!
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.
