Spinal Advice for Gamers
You log on to unwind after a long day, jump into a few games with friends, and before you know it, a couple of hours have slipped by. Whether it's your go-to way to decompress after work or just a fun weekend hobby, gaming is a great way to relax. But even if you aren't playing competitively, those extended sessions can sneak up on your body. The reality is that the hours spent sitting at your setup have a significant impact on your posture, spine, and overall health.
If we're being honest with ourselves, almost all of us eventually fall into one of two distinct gaming postures:
The Lean
When completely engrossed in a game, without even knowing it, you start to lean closer towards the screen. When you consider that a human head weighs about the same as a bowling ball, the amount of stress on the neck, upper back, shoulders, and chest muscles is immense. Your spinal nerves (which are crucial for relaying information from the brain to the body and vice versa) also come under great strain.
Chest muscles become tight, pulling the arms forward and down, while the back muscles—like the trapezius (traps) and latissimus dorsi (lats)—become overly stretched, further exaggerating “The Lean.” Over time, those back muscles become weak and are no longer efficient at maintaining good posture.
The Couch Slouch
Some gamers prefer to play reclined in a chair or couch, which can be incredibly comfortable. However, slouching for many days over many weeks weakens the core muscles, which are designed to take the majority of your postural weight. When the core “turns off,” a lot of this postural weight transfers to the posterior chain (the lower back), which isn't designed to hold that type of stress nearly as well as the core. Over time, this can lead to back pain and an increased chance of injury to the lower back due to a lack of stabilization.
The Impact on Your Gameplay: Studies have shown that when areas of the spine are under a lot of stress, it can interfere with the brain's ability to accurately collect and send information to and from the body, leading to poor sensorimotor integration. This can reduce reaction time and negatively affect hand-eye coordination—which no gamer wants to deal with!
What You Can Do
1. Improve Your Sitting Posture
Sit upright: Sit as upright as you can. If you start getting tired, take a break rather than relinquishing your good posture.
Use the right chair: A proper gaming or ergonomic office chair helps you keep correct posture. The chair angle should be 90-110 degrees.
Adjust your monitor: Ensure the top of your screen is at eye level.
Keep your distance: Maintain a comfortable distance between yourself and the screen without sacrificing your posture.
Watch your wrists: An ergonomic keyboard is useful in maintaining a neutral wrist position. However, it comes at a price, as mechanical keyboards allow our wrist into extension, providing the faster response times that make gaming feel smooth. Balance is key.
2. Create an Exercise Program
An exercise program can help tone core muscles such as the abdominals, erector spinae, glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. These muscles are key for sitting and posture. Yoga and Pilates are also great, as they help improve flexibility, muscle strength, and endurance, allowing you to maintain good posture effortlessly.
Stretching can alleviate symptoms of bad posture, such as back pain and stiffness. Stretching the muscles of the upper back, neck, and chest will not only relieve pain and tension but also keep you feeling sharp while you play.
Essential Stretches for Gamers:
Chest Stretch: Place your hands behind your head, gently squeeze your shoulder blades together, and move your elbows and hands backward.
Upper Traps Stretch: Tilt your head to one side and slightly forward. The arm on your opposite side should be down at your side; lower that arm and shoulder to create a deeper stretch.
Chin Tucks: Standing with your back against the wall and your head in a neutral position, retract your neck back, pulling the chin and head straight back until a good stretch is felt at the base of the head and top of the neck. This strengthens the posterior neck muscles and neck flexors.
(Pro Tip: Ask your Chiropractor or physical therapist about stretches specific to your needs so you can perform and function better.)
3. Take Regular Breaks Regular breaks are essential to giving your body time to rest. Our bodies are made to move! Taking regular breaks keeps your spine functioning optimally. Get up every twenty minutes from your seated position and move your body: stretch, squat, walk, breathe, and reset.
Once you've done that, it’s Game On!