Pokemon Go could be good for your health, experts say

Pokémon Go is good for your health, according to scores of excited psychology and fitness experts.

The app has captured the fascination of millions since its launch last week.

Just days old, it is already bigger than Tinder and has overtaken Twitter on Android.

And for all the people that cannot tear themselves away from the game, there's some good news: it could be your new workout. 

'I think it's an exciting development,' J Graham Thomas, assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior at the Miriam Hospital's Weight Control Research Center, told Daily Mail Online.

'For a long time, the technology and gaming industries have been associated with a decrease in physical activity and that has resulted in a lot of health problems.

'To see technology and gaming changing in a way that promotes physical activity and being around other people is really good.'  

Dr John Grohol, founder and head of mental health network Psych Central, branded it revolutionary.

'I've ever seen anything like that,' Dr Grohol said in a blog post.

'Research has long shown the benefits of simple exercise on improving mood. 

'The developers behind Pokémon Go didn’t mean to create a mental health gaming app. But they’ve done so, and the effects seem to be largely positive.'

Although Pokémon Go is not the first augmented reality game, it is certainly the first to take off.

It sends users running around streets and parks all over the world trying to catch virtual Pokémon with their cell phone cameras. 

Using Google Maps, the app creates a world that mirrors the user's own reality.  

And results have already begun to show.

Cardiogram, the fitness tracker app made for the Apple Watch, has recorded a clear uptick in movement since Pokémon Go's release.

FitBits also recorded a spike, and millions of users are posting on Twitter about their physical escapades.

Though these data only account for a specific group of users who have an Apple Watch, downloaded Cardiogram, or bought a FitBit, it is an indicator of the hype - and the increased movement. 

'I caught 6 Pokemon on my run today so safe to say I had an efficient work out,' one user wrote.

Another said: 'Did I really walk 13 km yesterday... These Pokemon are getting me in shape.'

Some users have also lauded the app for its psychological benefits.

'PokémonGo is going to do wonders for my mental health, providing me with purpose and reason to go outside at last,' one user said.

For health professionals like Dr Thomas, the viral cell phone game is providing a valuable service that the medical industry cannot. 

'Very often the medical community and health researchers don't have the resources to develop something as sophisticated as Pokemon Go to get people moving.

'Gamification of exercise and health is a great way to promote physical activity.

'I would have to assume that the success of Pokémon Go will inspire copycats, which would be great.'

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