Checklist for improving gaming posture and avoiding back pain
Answer a few questions to see if your gaming posture needs a tune-up. Then, read below for our best advice on how to avoid the aches and pains of prolonged sitting. And remember, take breaks!
Ask yourself:
Are your ears over your shoulders
Are your shoulders relaxed back and down
Is your chest expanded?
Are you breathing deeply?
Is your abdominal muscles bunched up?
Are you slouching or do you have a hunchback?
Do you have lower back support?
Is your eye line at the horizon or are you looking up or down at the screen?
Preventing spinal stenosis caused by bad sitting posture
Less-than optimal seated postures may create forces greater than 150% of body weight on the spine.
The increased pressure on the discs and bones of the spine can lead to early degeneration (e.g., arthritis or “spondylosis”) which may lead to more significant health concerns.
One of these possible concerns is called stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal, where the cord travels, or neural canals, where the spinal nerve roots exit the spinal column. Stenosis may lead to spinal cord and nerve root irritation which may cause symptoms such as pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the arms, trunk, or legs.
How prolonged sitting affects hip flexors and shoulder muscles
Prolonged seated postures have the potential to create remarkable tightness or imbalance in musculature. Most importantly are the effects in the hip and shoulder regions of the body.
Chronic seated positions create tightness in the muscles in the front of the body — the hip flexors and the pectoral muscles, among others — that all tend to pull the body forward into a flexed position.
How to prevent upper and lower crossed syndrome from poor posture
Additionally, the muscles of the back of the body — which hold the body upright against gravity — become weak or inhibited.
Complications of these muscular imbalances (upper crossed syndrome or lower crossed syndrome) may include muscular pain, joint pain, tension-type headaches, compression of nerves or blood vessels (such as thoracic outlet syndrome), and early degeneration of joints throughout the body.
Avoiding hunchback and muscular imbalances from prolonged sitting
The other injury you need to be aware of is the hunchback. It often results from sitting in the same position for prolonged periods of time. “This often leads to a ‘hunchback’ type of posture, which may cause both neck and back pain,” Sherman says.
How good gaming posture improves performance and reduces pain
Maintaining a good posture implies that you will not get distracted by neck and back pains. Your stress levels will drop and having fund will never be painful again. As a result, you will reach better results in your gaming performance your competitors can only be jealous of.
Easy solutions to improve gaming posture for better health
Gaming posture is incredibly important considering the amount of time gamers spend in seated positions.
Fortunately, gaming posture is an extremely popular topic in the community. Many health care professionals, gamers, and organizations are trying to bring awareness to the importance of body mechanics during long hours of practicing, streaming, or competing.
We developed an easy fix to poor gaming posture.
Check it out here…
