Playing 'Pokemon Go' Makes You Live Longer, Says Microsoft Study

Playing Pokemon Go has the potential to add days to your life expectancy - as long you keep playing the game, according to a study by Microsoft and Stanford University researchers.

Researchers at Stanford University and Microsoft came out with a study that found Pokemon Go significantly increased physical activity levels for die-hard Pokemon Go players - most not being active before they started playing the popular game. In fact, players who engaged in the Pokemon Go scavenger-hunt-type game has seen a 25 percent increase in activity levels over 30 days.

Microsoft got Pokemon Go players to wear Microsoft Band - its fitness tracker - while playing the game. Collecting data from more than 32,000 U.S. users, they found that playing the game led to people taking 1,500 steps more per day.

“In the short time span of the study, we estimate that ‘Pokémon Go’ has added a total of 144 billion steps to U.S. physical activity,” the researchers said in the study. “Furthermore, ‘Pokémon Go’ has been able to increase physical activity across men and women of all ages, weight status and prior activity levels showing this form of game leads to increases in physical activity with significant implications for public health.”

It’s been well-documented that people who exercise on a regular basis can not only reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes but can also cut their risk of developing mental health problems. Still, many adults and children aren’t getting the daily recommended amount of physical activity to maintain a healthy weight and ward off future diseases.

While activity tracking apps have a tendency to help users who are interested in improving their health through exercise, Pokemon Go offered a way to increase physical activity in a fun way that has more potential to reach those who don’t exercise as much.