Gaming has come a long way since its inception. Having evolved tremendously, gaming has taken a giant leap from being just a hobby into a potential career path. A career path that lots of people are trying to jump on, currently. So it doesn’t come off as a surprise when an average gamer spends nearly six hours gaming per week. Despite the grind and everything in between trying to earn that “stream money”, too much of anything is never good physically and mentally. Of course, there are also people who just game for fun and is not part of the hustle but gamers have this in common – we play for long hours. Here are five ways to stay fit as a gamer while on the adventure to beat the next boss!
Keep yourself hydrated
One common problem that plague gamers is dehydration. During those intense moments when you’re grinding for the next level, we often forget to stay hydrated. In cases where they DO hydrate, it’s either energy drink or something sweet. Stuff like Red Bull or Monster contain a high level of both caffeine and sugar. In the long run, this is going to end up as a huge ‘debuff’ on your body. We’re not against energy drinks but again, everything in moderation!
We do, however, want to encourage drinking water. It’s healthy, it’s good, plus it gives you a buff to ward off neck and back pains.
Exercise, sweat it off!
Honestly, how many hours in a day do you spend sitting in front of your gaming monitor? You don’t have to be a gym rat but it’s important to move about. Here are some basic tips to work up a sweat in between your gaming sessions:
- If you are free in the morning, go for a 15-30 minute jog. You might not see the effect straight away but it will help in the long run.
- Take short breaks during your gaming sessions to just do some stretches. This will help your muscles to relax a bit. Preventing your muscles from locking up will really save you a trip to the chiropractor.
Posture; no gaming chairs required
This is really important, not just in gaming, even in your daily life. Gamers frequently complain about having neck, shoulder, and back pains. Maintaining a good posture will reduce that. So, be sure to sit upright with your back straight. Avoid slouching down on your chairs.
Plus, spending a few bucks on a decent chair would help as well. We repeat: just a decent one. Something with neck support. No need to splurge on those gaming chairs that goes for $399 – unless you’re nine years old. Then that’s fine.
Ventilation
Pretty simple yet it helps. Make sure your room is well ventilated. Open up the window or even the door just to let fresh oxygen enter the room. It’s always nice to get some fresh air flowing through your gaming space.
Eye Strain
Another short and simple one which tends to be ignored. Again as a reminder, take short breaks. Don’t just stare at the monitor all day long. Very simple yet taking a few minutes of rest works wonders.
Happy gaming and stay healthy, everyone!
1 comment
Great advise.
Taking breaks is my biggest weakness. Just finished a 45 minute raid? Instead of taking 20 minutes to sort out loot and equipment etc. I force myself to get up and take 5-10 minute break and get some walking and small stretches in. I’ve even tried doing a few small sets of body-weight exercises during loading times, or in between ques on some games. For Minecraft my wife and I started doing 5 push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks every time we slept in the game at night. It seems small,but after gaming a few hours you can add up 50-60 reps of each easy!