When you think of online gaming, physical activity is not the first thing that comes to mind. There are fewer physical injuries in online gaming compared to rugby or football, but some level of health risks can still come from too much gaming. The familiar gamer’s thumb, carpal tunnel, and chronic back pain are a few examples of what can happen if you don’t take care of your body during your 8+ hour gaming sessions. In order to help you all stay away from injuries and instead maintain a healthy gaming lifestyle, take a look at some of these steps you can take!

Drink a lot of water

Your body absolutely needs water for it to function and biologically stay alive. When you exercise or game for more than a few hours straight, you could start feeling stiffness in your body and your eyes. These symptoms might be because you are dehydrated and not drinking enough water. In order to prevent this, try to have a glass of water (or nowadays hydroflasks) by your desk and try to drink water every 15-30 minutes or as often as possible. Nowadays there are apps to help remind you to stay hydrated. Another helpful habit change is replacing soda, coffee, or other sugary fluids with water.

Eat healthy snacks

Instead of ordering fast food through an app or going through a drive through, try to make a healthy snack at home. This is a lot healthier and even cheaper than spending all your money on service and delivery fees. Take some time out of your day to head to the grocery store and buy some fresh produce and other healthy ingredients. Your mind and body will thank you for knowing what is actually going into your body. A quick google search can provide you with an endless list of easy recipes. For example, if you are craving something candy or something sweet try reaching for some fruits, if you are craving potato chips try savory popcorn or wheat rice crackers. If you are worried about not being able to cook or not knowing any easy recipes, there are thousands of social media platforms that can also help you find easy recipes.

Take occasional breaks

It is easy to get lost in gaming for hours and hours on end. At times you may get lost in a winning streak or you are too focused on training for an upcoming competition. These prolonged gaming sessions can ultimately do some damage to your body without you even knowing it- both physically and mentally.

When you notice you’ve been gaming for over an hour, take a few minutes between your games and practice some mindful exercises. This may include some of the following: go for a walk, take stretch breaks or some yoga, do some body weight exercises, try meditation which can include journaling or a time of reflection, take a quick nap, work on a house chore, grab a snack, talk to your friends or family. Any of these quick break exercises can give your brain and body a break from nonstop gaming sessions. When you get a chance, I recommend taking a break every 30 minutes to an hour and try to include physical exercise if possible.

Rest your eyes

Your eyes need a rest every once in a while. Staring at the computer for more than 3 hours can cause tiredness or sometimes redness from dried eyes, which can also lead to headaches. Be sure to turn the brightness on your monitor down and close your eyes for a few minutes to relax those eye muscles. One easy exercise you can practice is called “Palming” which can help relieve stress on your eyes, especially in between your games.

How to perform palming by Winyates Opticians: “Sit on a chair and close your eyes. Place both hands over your eyes. The palm of your hands should cover the eyes, the fingers on the forehead and the base of the palm resting on the cheekbone. Do not put too much pressure on the eyes, ensure that your eyes can blink freely. Do this exercise over a period of 2 minutes.”
Be mindful of your posture:

It is highly likely you are sitting for hours while gaming, not realizing how much you are slouching. You are probably slouching or have some sort of bad posture as you are reading this. Poor posture could increase your risk for body aches and pain. It is important to check on your posture every time you get a chance. You should be aware of when you begin to start slouching and correct your posture as soon as you notice.

Good posture according to Esportshealthcare.com is described as “sitting upright, not leaning forward, keeping your shoulders back and down, and keeping your head back with your chin tucked” (As some of us may or may not know, the natural resting position for a human is actually a squat position. It is known that people generally squat on their heels when they are resting, eating or have bowel movements. Sitting in a chair is not proper posture and is not an anatomically normal position no matter the chair you sit in).

Image courtesy of BackIntelligence.com

Hand exercise/stretching

Not only is your back and spine being put to the test when you are sitting and gaming for a long time. The second most used area is probably your hands and wrists. Gamers are constantly in the same particular position when playing games for hours, their right hand on the mouse and the left hand in another set position on the left side of the keyboard. You could help your hands and wrists (also your back) by getting proper computer chairs and accessories that fit according to your size.

If you are a small person like me, many standard chairs and mouses are slightly too big. Try to opt in for brands that are known to have different sizes available in their inventory. Another way to make sure your hands and wrists are not taking a toll is by doing the following exercises every 2 hours (or as needed), this can help you keep your wrists and hands flexible and prevent pain.

Images courtesy of darebee.com

Mindfulness check-in

Mental health also needs to be factored into a healthy gaming lifestyle. Remember to be mindful of your stress level and dependency level when it comes to gaming. When you feel a lot of stress or anxiety, take a step back and take a few deep breaths before you keep gaming. Also try to stay aware of your long gaming hours. When you realize it’s been past 3 hours of gaming straight, take a breather and be mindful of how many hours you spend on the screen. Try one of the exercises above to keep your gaming at a balance.

Get a full night's rest

Everyone should get at least 8 hours of sleep in general. Try to stay away from screens at least one hour before heading to bed. This means give yourself and your body a break from gaming (like those bright flash grenades) an hour or so before you lay down and get ready for bed. As fun as late-night game sessions are, the bright lights can disrupt your body’s deep sleep and make it a lot harder to fall asleep.

By following some or all of these steps, you can start practicing a healthier gaming lifestyle. Steps such as taking occasional breaks during long gaming hours, stretching in between, eating a healthy snack after, and even drinking water throughout the game can definitely have some positive effects for you and your body in the long run. Good luck, have fun, and stay healthy!