5 Ways Playing Video Games Makes Your Life Healthier
Is it true that playing video games improves your health? Research shows that spending ten hours a week playing your favorite games will boost your mental, physical, and social health.
There are lots of bad vibes in our society about these games. However, they’re only harmful if done excessively. So, here are five ways playing video games makes your life healthier.
A. Improving Memory, Focus, and Balance
Think of what happens as you play a video game. One, you have to follow a specific set of rules for you to win or get promoted to the next level. Two, you must focus on everything going on the screen in front of you, or else you lose.
So, you got to master every detail, including color changes, right? Moreover, you have to coordinate your hands and eyes since every move you make matters, right? What do you think happens to your brain while you do all these things?
You learn to be attentive. You improve your memory and boost coordination among various faculties in your brain. Hence, playing video games is good for your brain.
B. Anxiety and Pain Reliever
What do video games do to your brain apart from boosting its overall health? They create a distraction from the reality on the ground. Any gamer, whether amateur or expert, will confirm this.
The moment you begin playing a game, you forget everything you are going through in real life. Experts have used these games as pain relievers for people suffering from intense physical pain.
Experts also use them to create a healthy disruption for those who have emotional disorders like depression and anxiety. Do you see why video games are good for your anxiety?
C. Enhance Critical Thinking
One of the ways playing video games makes your life healthier is enhancing critical thinking. Critical thinking means that you analyze every fact objectively before making the final decision.
Now, think of what happens in a typical gaming session. The player has to weigh available options and evaluate every move before making a decision. That’s proof that video games are good for you as they sharpen your thinking.
D. Video Games Enhance Youthfulness
Generally, people who play games are always happy. Games make your body release the feel-good hormones and an adrenaline rush. How can you age fast when you’re always happy?
Furthermore, you can boost your gaming experience by having some fans that watch you play! That’s right. Have your groupies that go wild with excitement each time you unlock a more advanced level.
All you need to do is stream your game live on Twitch, then know how to get viewers on Twitch as people do with YouTube. People all over the world will be logging in to watch you play your favorite games - 24/7 happiness results in 24/7 youthfulness.
E. Physical Exercise
The debate on video games versus physical activity is ongoing since most people argue that players barely move during a game. Well, that’s only true for the few basement players that play alone and rarely move. Please don’t do that.
Nevertheless, research conducted at The Miriam Hospital showed that games like Wii and Xbox Kinect provide sufficient exercise just like in the traditional gym. Thus, an average player will pull a few muscles before the game is over.
Final Thoughts
Research will keep discovering new ways playing video games makes your life healthier. Now, the baseline is that these games promote physical, psychological, and social health. However, please know that too much gaming has negative effects. Hence, only spend the recommended amount of time before this great exercise becomes an addiction.