The health benefits of gaming

Health and wellbeing is a big issue nowadays. In all social groups: the young; the old; men; women; in all ethnic groups people are striving to be healthier psychologically and physically. However, people seek health in many ways: they may go to the gym; go vegan; or even start to practice mindfulness. Some suggest this is the wrong path to take, and another may be more helpful: playing video games.

That is because there is growing evidence that playing video games can be good for both your body and your mind. For example, there are apparently a host of cognitive benefits of gaming. Firstly, it can actually increase grey matter in your brain, particularly in the areas associated with skills such as planning and spatial awareness. As well as this, gaming can improve your memory, most of all if you play 3D platform games.  There are also clinical uses of gaming in psychology. For example, video games have used to treat attention disorders such as ADHD, with findings suggesting that games can improve concentration span and reduce the propensity to be distracted by surrounding. This could revolutionize the way in which we treat such disorders.

It may seem amazing that gaming can improve your physical health, but this is true, too. A new trend called exergaming involves using your body to control the action in the game, and was pioneered with the Nintendo Wii. Sports and dance games can help you to get fitter, and may even replace your gym sessions, and save you money. The potential is so great for tackling modern problems such as childhood obesity that the National Institute of Health studied the impact of exergaming, concluding that it could help to increase activity levels and help to make people fitter.

Perhaps the most exciting thing about gaming’s impact upon health is that we are really just scratching the surface: there are almost certainly many other positive benefits!

To find out more about these benefits, see the infographic below from Computer Planet.