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Why I’m a fan of Pokemon Go

Category : Active Living

I recently heard a statistic: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American spends 93% of their life indoors.


Kids spend an average of seven hours a day on screen-based entertainment media, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, so there is little time left to get outside and play. Personally, I’d rather take a walk and skip searching for Pokemon. I walked around our neighborhood and Voyageur Park with my 14 year old and it isn’t exactly rigorous activity, but if “Sitting is the new Smoking” then Pokemon Go! is at least a step in the right direction (pun intended). So they combine screen time with walking around the neighborhood…it’s awesome.


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I missed the Pokemon craze back in the day…never traded a card, no idea who Picachu or any of the other Pokemon creatures were until my 14 year old started introducing them to me. If you haven’t played, ask someone who does to show you how it works. (Use their phone of course, why chew up your data?) It’s pretty cool to see those imaginary Pokemon creatures just standing on the sidewalk and there are Poke stops (these are places you can collect the balls you need to play). Most of these stops are associated with a sign or bench, so there are a lot of them at local parks. If you’ve noticed the incredible amount of foot traffic out along the Fox River Trail and on De Pere’s Riverwalk it’s thanks to the fact that every bench and sign out there is a stop!


Searching for Pokemon on De Pere's Riverwalk

Searching for Pokemon on De Pere’s Riverwalk


You can roll your eyes at the Pokemon craze, but if it gets people outside and moving then I am with Pokemon! Go Pokemon Go!


Yours in Health & Fitness, Karin