For many of us, gaming is not just a pastime but a passion. However, it’s important to stay healthy and fit while gaming. Whether you spend hours playing solitaire games here or are into popular shooters, you must find time to take care of your well-being. The good news is that there are gadgets that can help. In this article, we will highlight the top five health gadgets for gamers that can help you maintain your health and gaming performance alike.
5 Must-Have Health Gadgets for Gamers
1. Posture correctors
As a gamer, sitting in the same position for prolonged periods can lead to poor posture, resulting in back pain, neck strain, and headaches. Posture correctors are devices that can assist in maintaining good posture and help prevent these issues.
One of the most straightforward ways to correct your posture is by sitting on an exercise ball instead of a chair. An exercise ball forces your body to engage your core muscles to maintain balance, promoting good posture.
A good alternative to using gadgets is to perform posture-correcting exercises that strengthen the muscles in your back, neck, and shoulders. Simple exercises such as chin tucks, shoulder blade squeezes, and chest stretches can improve posture and reduce pain.
2. Fitness trackers
Gaming often involves long hours of sitting, which can lead to a sedentary lifestyle. Fitness trackers are wearable devices that help monitor physical activity levels, such as the number of steps taken, calories burned, and heart rate.
If you don’t have a fitness tracker yet, no worries. There are still ways to stay aware of your activity levels, for example, by setting reminders to stand up and move around every hour. This helps increase blood circulation, prevents muscle stiffness, and burns calories.
Or, it should be also a good idea to incorporate small exercises into your daily routine, such as stretching during loading screens, performing desk push-ups, or even doing a quick yoga session before or after a gaming session.
3. Blue light-blocking glasses
Staring at a screen for long periods can lead to eye strain, headaches, and even disrupt sleep patterns. Blue light-blocking glasses can assist in reducing the amount of blue light emitted by screens and alleviate these issues.
Any alternatives? Well, yes, you can reduce eye strain by increasing the distance between your eyes and the screen. A general rule of thumb is to sit at least an arm’s length away from the screen and adjust the screen’s brightness to suit the ambient lighting.
4. Ergonomic gaming chairs
Sitting for long hours in an improper chair can cause back pain, neck strain, and other issues. Ergonomic gaming chairs can help by providing support and comfort to reduce strain on your body. Such chairs should come in handy not only for gamers but for everyone who has to spend a lot of time in front of the screen.
One simple way out for those who don’t have such a chair is to add a lumbar support pillow to your chair to promote better posture and reduce back pain. If possible, it can also be helpful to adjust the height of your chair to ensure your feet are flat on the ground, and your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle to alleviate pressure on your lower back.
5. Hand exercisers
Although not very obvious, gaming can place a lot of strain on your hands and wrists, leading to conditions such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Hand exercisers are great solutions as they help strengthen your grip and reduce the risk of injuries.
Alternatively, you could improve grip strength by squeezing a stress ball, which can help build strength in your hand and wrist muscles. It is also possible to use resistance bands to perform exercises that target your forearm, wrist, and hand muscles. These exercises can help increase flexibility and prevent injuries.
Game Smart, Stay Healthy
Maintaining good health while gaming is essential, and the health gadgets described in this article can help. Posture correctors, fitness trackers, blue light-blocking glasses, ergonomic gaming chairs, and hand exercisers are just a few examples of solutions that can enable you to stay fit and healthy while gaming.
By investing in these gadgets (or turning to alternative practices), you can not only improve your gaming performance but also prevent injuries and health issues. So, next time you gear up for a gaming session, remember to game on and stay fit!
