I’m heavy set for a number of reasons, but I would say the two biggest factors are because I love to eat food and because all of my favorite activities are sedentary. I’m the typical nerd girl that loves to spend her time playing board games, video games, and reading books. None of the hobbies I just mentioned included exercise in any way, shape, or form.

Video games have recently been trying to make us more active. The Wii Fit was released in 2007 and the Wii Fit Plus after that. Many exercise related games have come out, such as Dance Dance Revolution, Just Dance, and Nike + Kinect. I enjoy the Just Dance games, but after a while I get tired of doing the same songs over and over. Plus, these games are expensive.

Enter Pokémon Go. Pokémon Go is a great way to go outside an exercise and still have fun. It is entertainment and exercise for people who really aren’t into physical fitness and are more into playing video games. On top of Pokémon Go being fun, it’s free!

Pokémon Go makes the gamer travel to Pokestops to get Pokeballs and other products they need for their Pokémon. Gamers have to travel around their area to catch Pokémon too. Another way Pokémon Go is helping with exercise is by giving you eggs that hatch after you walk a certain number of kilometers. It can tell if you are driving and it won’t add kilometers onto your egg if you are.

I recently obtained a foot injury that I cannot walk on, but before this injury, my boyfriend, my best friend, and I were out catching Pokémon almost nightly. My best friend and I are both bigger girls and it was helping us get some well needed exercise, while providing us with entertainment and fun. My foot is now healing, and I plan on getting back out there and catching them all. Another friend has lost six pounds since starting Pokémon Go, so I truly know someone who is already healthily benefitting from the game.

In the article, People are losing weight playing Pokemon Go - and here's the proof by Louis Dore, it states, “In terms of the average user, they'll play 43 minutes a day, walking, and catch roughly 22 Pokémon. This translates to losing a pound every 13.75 days if you're a man, 16.27 if you're a woman.” This may not seem like a lot if you’re a person who works out a lot, but to a sedentary person this is phenomenal. David Oliver states in the article, Health Buzz: Pokemon GO Has Everyone Exercising, “The new Pokémon GO app has captured the hearts and minds of America's youth (and youth-plus) since its launch last week. And it's also captured their legs. Pokémon GO's success has led to an inadvertent phenomenon: a spark in exercise.”

I am looking forward to soon having my own weight loss story thanks to Pokémon Go and I can’t wait to hear more from others about their weight loss.