Video games are incredibly fun and addicting. In fact, the average gamer plays at least 7 hours a week. With this much time spent slouched over at their keyboard and controller, gamers put themselves in danger of serious health problems.
When a gamer slouches, they strain their neck and back muscles, making them work harder. Over time, this leads to muscular imbalances that can disfigure their posture.
Not only does poor posture damage your looks, but it can also bring upon lots of back pain and other issues such as breathing problems, fatigue, digestive issues, and even a shorter lifespan.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way: You can still play video games without sacrificing your health and posture.
How Gamers Can Improve Their Posture
There are many ways to improve your posture. Some ways are more expensive and others. Other ways are more intensive than others. Instead of just picking one thing to improve on, it’s best to take a bulldozer to your problems and start working on as many things as possible to fix your posture.
Awareness
The first thing you can do is start by being aware of your poor posture and realizing that you slouch when you play video games. By catching yourself slouching, you are now being cautious of your bad posture and are likely to want to do something about it.
Unfortunately, most people’s poor posture goes beyond just being aware, but it’s a good start to motivate you to change your life.
Fix Muscular Imbalances
Go look at a mirror. What do you notice about your posture? Is your head sticking forward more than it should? Is your back hunched over? Is your belly sticking out?
Forward Head Posture
This is when we have weak muscles in the front of our neck and strong muscles in the back of our neck. Our body compensates for this by sticking our heads out.
Did you know that for every inch your head sticks out, that’s an additional 10 lbs of force being put on your spine?
With the introduction of cell phones and screens, forward head posture has become a modern phenomenon and is frequently known as tech neck or ‘text neck’. It’s unattractive and extremely bad for your spine.
To address this, we need to start strengthening our neck muscles in the front. One exercise you can do is chin tucks against a wall.
Not only that, there are several exercises designed to improve the posture of gamers, reducing the risk of future spinal issues, headaches, and muscle and joint damage while enhancing gaming performance. These are:
Wall Reach
A stretching routine involves extending your arms upward toward the ceiling, as opposed to reaching them forward.
Mid Back Extension with Foam Roller
Given the tendency of gamers to frequently hunch forward, they are at risk of developing a spinal curvature that can lead to discomfort and adversely affect their physical mechanics and functionality.
Shoulder Stretch
A simple stretch that provides instant relief. This exercise helps reposition your shoulders correctly, reducing the likelihood of future spinal and neck issues.
Hip Flexor Stretch
Poor posture isn’t all about the middle to upper spine since it targets the lower back as well. Therefore, it’s crucial to integrate this posture-correcting exercise into your routine, as it offers an effective workout that extends up to your lower back.
Wear a Posture Corrector
Besides all these recommended exercises, posture correctors can be your best buddy that can remind you to correct your posture without breaking the bank and avoid going out for long periods of sessions.
Posture correctors, a wearable devices specifically created to align the spine and address muscle imbalances that often result from prolonged periods spent in unhealthy, fixed positions. They gently draw the shoulders back, realigning the spine and diminishing the appearance of poor posture.
Putting this on takes a second and you can literally forget about this as soon as you get back to your game. Check out the Posture Lobster.
Benefits of Good Posture for Gamers
When you’re not in pain from sitting, you’ll be able to play for longer sessions, which can be a huge W when it comes to maximizing your experience while playing.
Another major benefit of good posture is that you don’t have to be self-conscious about the way you look, especially since gamers get a bad rap for looking nerdy and weak. By standing tall, you’ll look more confident and not like your stereotypical gamer.
Conclusion
Gamers are at risk of developing health issues due to poor posture, often caused by slouching during extended gaming sessions. This can lead to strain on the neck and back muscles, potentially resulting in inflammation and joint problems. While the stereotype of gamers as lazy and sloppy has been debunked, poor posture remains a significant concern. Fortunately, all of these are preventable with the help of proper exercises and having the correct posture corrector like Posture Lobster to keep you in the right position without the need to go to the doctor’s office regularly and spend a lot of money. Additionally, making adjustments to gaming setups and adopting ergonomic practices can mitigate these risks as well.
The mention of exercises and posture correctors offers practical solutions to address these concerns. It’s a reminder that even in the world of gaming, physical well-being and comfort are essential elements in achieving success and longevity in the gaming community.
