Magic Online and Smoking

by News | posted at 2010-06-09 08:31:00
tagged: MTG, Magic, Magic the Gathering, Magic Online, MTGO, MOL, MODO

Geek culture, and particularly gaming culture, has never been known for supporting a healthy lifestyle. But how unhealthy is being a digital gamer? A recent article in the Telegraph says it may be worse than you think. Much worse.

A study by Dominic Micklewright from the University of Essex put a number of digital gamers through a pace of tests to determine their general physical hardiness. The results? Their physical fitness levels in some cases were as poor as senior citizens who smoked heavily. That even included gamers who appeared otherwise to be in healthy shape.

So, how does this apply to Magic? Grinding Magic Online all day long is no different than playing Halo instead of going to class, and it would appear the long term effects of leading such a sedentary lifestyle are just as poor as one would imagine. The key to preventing such damage to your body? Diet and exercise. Get up to exercise in between rounds of your draft, cut out the Cheetos and Mountain Dew for fruits and whole grains, and skip a PE every now and then to play some basketball with the gang you normally draft with.

Read the full study at the Telegraph here.

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