Gaming is a hobby that requires more from your brain than the rest of your body. Consequently, the question of how to stay healthy when you’re gaming doesn’t come up as often as it should. There are some health-related drawbacks to the way that many people play video games, and addressing those problems is crucial to long-term health. If you count gaming as one of your beloved pastimes, read these tips for staying healthy as a gamer. They should help counteract the health concerns that video games present.
Take Breaks To Move Your Body
The vast majority of games don’t require much movement outside of your hands. This presents a problem because it can mean that you don’t move the rest of your body at all for extended periods. Our bodies shouldn’t stay in one position for such a long time. So, this can have adverse effects on your muscles and joints. If you know you’re in for a long session of gaming, remember to take a moment to stretch and move to prevent any body part from locking up on you.
Prioritize Good Sleep
One of the most important tips for staying healthy as a gamer is to make sure you get the right amount of sleep every night. Sleep is immensely crucial for practically every part of your body, but it isn’t a stretch to say that many gamers will forego sleep in favor of playing for another hour or two. Not getting enough sleep will catch up to you eventually. You’ll find it harder to focus, and your ability to think critically and problem solve will diminish.
Don’t Neglect Hydration
The importance of hydrating yourself is something you hear about often when you work out or play lots of physical sports. However, you don’t hear about it as much for gamers. Staying hydrated is just as important in gaming as it is anywhere else. The effects of dehydration can come on faster than you might think, and they can seriously affect your cognitive and physical abilities. Don’t go too long without hydrating yourself while you play.
Protect Your Eyes
Whether it’s your giant living room television, your computer monitor, or a VR headset strapped to your face, a screen is essential to every video game. These screens emit lots of harmful blue light that can start to affect you in negative ways when you look at them for too long, though. A good solution to this problem is to check out Glassy Eyewear’s prescription gaming glasses. Designed to protect you from blue light-derived eye strain, headaches, and mental fatigue, our glasses will help you stay in the game while staying healthy at the same time.
