Posture plays an integral role in maintaining good health, especially for avid gamers who sit down for long hours. Adopting a good sitting posture is vital for enhancing your gaming experience and overall health. Good gaming posture generally ensures your bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles are in correct alignment and functioning optimally. If gaming is causing you a considerable amount of back pain, chances are your sitting posture is bad. In this article, you’ll find three tips for achieving better gaming posture.
1. Rest your arms evenly on the gaming desk.
Sitting down behind a gaming monitor for an extended period makes you susceptible to developing back pain. Competitive gamers often fail to assume the correct posture. They get carried away playing Jungler in League of Legends where they find themselves searching “how to Jungle LOL” whilst traversing the game looking for neutral monsters and enemy minions to fight. During these moments, they assume a sitting position that’s detrimental to their spinal health.
Whether you’re playing a highly competitive game or simply trying to find jungle champions for your jungle role, ensure you maintain the correct gaming posture to mitigate the risk of low back pain, neck pain, tension headaches, muscle spasms, muscle weakness, and injury.
The best gaming posture depends on height, activity, and type of gaming chair. So, endeavor to sit down with your back straight and rest your arms evenly on the desk. Keep your eyes level with the top of the screen. Lastly, try not to slouch to avoid reduced blood circulation, muscle tension, fatigue, and joint pain.
2. Book a session with a chiropractor.
People with bad body posture can seek chiropractic care to correct the anomaly. Chiropractors use various techniques to help align the body’s musculoskeletal structure, which ultimately helps to alleviate pain and restore mobility. Chiropractors also use the results of tests, scans, and X-rays to develop a viable chiropractic treatment.
Take the initiative and schedule an appointment with an experienced chiropractor within your locality if you’re having trouble maintaining a good gaming posture. Let’s say you live in Wheat Ridge: Look for a reputable Wheat Ridge chiropractor who provides quality chiropractic care. Keep in mind that chiropractic medicine may not be ideal for everyone. So, check with your doctor before signing up for any chiropractic treatment.
3. Set up an ergonomically correct gaming workstation.
Setting up an ergonomically correct gaming workstation is vital for maintaining a healthy gaming posture and ensuring a solid gaming performance. Start by adjusting the chair height so that your feet can rest comfortably on the floor. Your knees and hips should be at about the same height, and avoid bending your wrists abruptly upward or downward while using your gaming keyboard. Rather, place your gaming keyboard so that you don’t have to extend your upper arms far forward.
Many modern gaming keyboards are outfitted with tabs for raising the back or front to suit the wrist position. Regardless of how healthy your gaming posture is, sitting in a particular way for a prolonged period isn’t healthy. Make a habit of changing your posture regularly and alternate between upright, recline, and decline positions. Most ergonomic gaming chairs have adjustments for seat depth, armrests, seat angle, and spring stiffness. Whatever positions you choose, ensure your pose stays neutral and relaxed. Alternatively, you can stay on your feet while gaming or, better still, take a walk and stretch your legs periodically.
To summarize, prolonged sitting can take a significant toll on your health, and it gets worse if you have a poor gaming posture and workstation. When maintaining a healthy lifestyle, good posture is just as important as having a balanced diet, proper sleep, and exercise.