Gaming is many people’s favourite way to spend their free time. It is a great way to escape reality for a while and de-stress and, for some people, this could mean playing for hours on end nearly every day.
Sitting in the same position for a long time doesn’t do very much for your posture, or your physical health either. It is important for gamers to take the correct steps to maintain good posture and health while gaming. Keep reading to find out what these steps are and how you can incorporate them into your daily life.
Adjust your desk height
Make sure that, when you are sitting upright, your eyes meet the top quarter of the monitor, or slightly above it. This way you can ensure that your neck and back are upright and in the correct alignment to prevent any pains or aches. If possible, the monitor should also be slightly tilted back to reduce strain on your eyes.
Invest in a comfortable chair
One of the most important aspects of posture is keeping one’s back in the proper position, and this is much easier in the correct chair.
When playing video games, it can become easy to slouch over and lean into the game. One of the best ways to prevent this is by investing in an ergonomically designed chair. These make it more comfortable to sit up straight by providing posture support and improving your circulation. The backrest on your chair should be between a 90 degree and 135 degree angle. This pushes your back to maintain a more upright position to reduce discomfort. You can also find chairs with lumbar support.
Consider purchasing a chair with a headrest. It can help you to lean your head back and reduce neck pain and headaches.
Adjust the monitor distance
The monitor’s distance from your face can also play a very important role in your posture. The screen should never be closer than 50 cm from the face so if you find yourself struggling to see at this distance, you should wear glasses instead of moving the screen closer.
It is a good idea to view the screen in a relaxed position and see if the images are clear at this distance. This should be accomplished without the need to lean forward, backward, or turn your head at any angle to see the screen. If you find this difficult, you may benefit from a trip to the optician.
Take regular breaks
Sitting too long when gaming, especially if you play every day, can pose serious risks to your health. From nerve damage to blood circulation issues to heart disease, the longer the gaming continues the higher the risk of developing these problems.
You should get up and move around every couple of hours at least. You don’t need to do a full workout to get some exercise in, simply taking a short walk or even stretching can have great benefits for health and circulation.
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