Gaming may be your passion, but if you’re not doing it right, you may just be hurting your back in the process. Having poor posture while you game can cause irreversible damage to your back. Likewise, it can cause you to develop chronic pain and other conditions that can be avoided by maintaining the right posture while you enjoy your favorite games.
Here are some tips on how to keep your back healthy as a gamer.
Use appropriate and ergonomic gaming equipment.
One of the first things you can do to keep your back healthy as you play your favorite games is to apply ergonomics. For instance, if you don’t reach the ground while you game, get yourself a footrest or a stack of books where you can rest your feet and avoid straining your knees, and consequently your lower back.
Another way you can keep a healthy back is by using the best chair for gaming for your type of body. Ergonomic gaming chairs can improve your posture with reclinable backrests and lumbar support, optimize your gameplay with cushioned angles, and help your pockets with budget options and preventive back care. Some of the best gaming chairs include the DXRacer Master Series, Razer Iskur, Anda Seat Kaiser Series, Ewin Knight, and Vertagear SL500. Opt for a healthy back with a gaming chair today.
Be conscious about your gaming posture.
Moreover, you can improve your gaming posture to prevent hurting your back and extend your livelihood. You should sit with your forearms resting parallel with the floor so your shoulders are not being pressured. Your elbows and wrists shouldn’t be strained to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome, so opt for sitting close to your desk to prevent stretching them too much. Your back should be in a straight 90- to 120-degree position and pressed against your chair. Likewise, you should try to keep your hips all the way back in the chair and your thighs flat on the chair to prevent further straining.
Correctly position your gaming equipment.
Another way to keep your back healthy is by properly positioning your gaming equipment. For instance, your monitor should be at eye level so you don’t force your eyes and prevent raising your head or slouching your back to try to read your monitor’s screen.
Get your back checked by a professional.
If you’ve been feeling like your back or neck has been acting a bit weird, maybe it’s time to get your back checked by a chiropractor or specialist that can help you decipher what’s going on in your back and how you can improve it. Many gamers suffer from muscle strain, lower back pain, neck pain, and other conditions that, if left untreated, can evolve into other chronic conditions. During these visits to the specialist’s office, you may find out that you could be in need of interventional spine medicine, which can provide relief for painful symptoms from cervical, lumbar, and thoracic conditions.
Exercise your muscles.
Lastly, you will want to keep your body healthy by exercising your body. You can do this by dedicating at least 15 minutes of at least three days a week to lifting weights, using resistance and bands, or participating in other strength-training exercises. These strength-training exercises can help prevent injuries to your back and neck and can even help improve your gaming skills as you develop better motor functions like hand-eye coordination and reduce the stress that can interfere with your gaming skills.
These tips will help you become an even better player as well as improving your physical health to prevent getting injured while gaming.
Hello, My name is Shari & I am a writer for the ‘Outlook AppIns’ blog. I’m a CSIT graduate & I’ve been working in the IT industry for 3 years.