Two separate academic reports suggest that playing Pokémon GO can be good for both physical and mental health (provided that you manage to avoid car crashes and stay away from landmines).

New research by Tokyo University says that players report significantly reduced stress levels, which could have positive effects on mental health …

The study was published in Nature (via CNET).

The paper says that while the effect is small, the cumulative effect on the population as a whole could be substantial.

Pokémon GO may be effective for improving psychological distress among workers. Although its effect size is small, the game could have positive effects on the mental health of the adult working population.

The study follows previous academic research suggesting that physical health is also improved by playing the game as it encouraged increased exercise, as CNET notes.

However, the authors of this study noted that this tended to tail off after a few months.

If you want to meet up with other players, as well as have the chance to capture some rare Pokémon, there are some upcoming festivals in Europe and Scandinavia.

Photo: Lifewire