Playing video games brings with it a multitude of benefits, such as mental and physical fitness, a new infographic illustrates.

The infographic published by Frugal Dad on Visual.ly reveals what playing video games does to a gamer’s mind and body, tapping into the areas of rehabilitation, education, mental and physical health, and early development.

More specifically, virtual reality games can help gamers manage pain and overcome phobias, and playing workout games such as Wii Fit and Kinect Fitness can improve stamina and cardiovascular fitness.

Video games are also great when it comes to socialising, the infographic shows. Some 65pc of gamers play a game with a friend present, and even 76pc of married couples say playing MMORPGs together has had a positive effect on their marriage.

The educational benefits of playing video games is reflected in four and five-year-olds gamers, for instance, who displayed improved literacy.

The infographic even looks at surgeons who play video games, revealing that surgeons who are also gamers were 27pc faster at procedures and made 37pc fewer errors compared to surgeons who do not play video games.

Despite these positive aspects, according to the infographic, experts suggest playing video games for less than 21 hours a week.