It’s not a secret that Americans need to get off the couch more, and not all of us have a personal trainer to make it happen. But Microsoft found there was something that got us, as a nation, off our couches and out in the wild: Hunting down Pokémon. In fact, Pokémon Go might add millions of years to American lives, all thanks to getting us off the couch.
Microsoft’s study looked closely both at Pokémon Go users and their lifestyle before finding a Pincir consumed their lives, and came across some fascinating results. Users generally walked 26% more steps than they did before the app came into their lives, and the most improvement came from people who didn’t exercise at all before the game came along. On average, people who stick with the game can expect to enjoy 41 extra days of life, according to Microsoft’s calculations.
That’s especially important because, to be honest, we’re all running out of excuses to stay on the couch, and yet we stay on it more than ever. And there’s reason for that. If you’re not into exercise in the first place, it can be difficult to find a reason to get out there. So if chasing Pokémon helps us get fitter, then bring on the Bulbasaurs.
(via CNN Money)