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Here in the gaming community we are constantly being told that our hours spent button bashing are doing damage to our health, that we should get outside and get more active, or that we should pick up a book from time to time. The first thing to say here is that gamers do all of these things, perhaps less than others, but we still do them. The second, and somewhat more important aspect of this, is that gaming can actually benefit your health.

That’s right, those hours on FIFA, playing casino games at Novibet or the days which we invest into games like World of Warcraft, are actually helping out health, and here is why.

Slowing the aging process
Recently, researchers have found that when adults play games such as brain training, they are actually helping with their brain function, and as a result they are assisting in slowing the aging process. Now it is of course important that you play the right game if you are looking for this effect, it is fair to say that spending hours on Sonic The Hedgehog may not help you, but many of the brain function games can be very beneficial indeed.

Socializing
Those who play any games online, and then get stuck into talking and discussing the game with others online, are doing a great amount of positive work in terms of their social abilities. We get told that if we sit at our computer screens or TV sets all day that we are losing out on social time. However, this could not be farther from the truth and those who do indulge in online games such as this can count on far better social skills.

Hand-Eye Coordination
Many of us require basic motor skills in our lives, especially hand-eye coordination. There have been numerous studies by some of the top schools and institutes across the USA about the great power which video gaming has on our ability to increase our hand-eye coordination, and this is one of the most widely understood benefits of playing on videogames.

Increased Vision
What is strange about this finding is that we have often been told by our parents that staring at the screen for too long will make you go blind. Admittedly, this was probably just a scare tactic, but it was still something that would strike fear into any young gamer.

The truth, however, is on the contrary. You see, playing action games, in particular, can greatly help to increase your vision. The reason for this is because you need to be aware of all of your surroundings, and you must be able to react quickly to new situations.

In 2007, Psychological Science magazine published results of an extensive study which showed that this focus which we need for the game, has a consequence of enhancing our vision, especially when it comes to picking out small objects such as letters.

So, how do you feel now that you have learned the health benefits of gaming? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below!