5 Great Ways To Stay Healthy While Gaming

Battling for hours in front of your screen? Be sure to take breaks and arm yourself with some health-conscious gear and best practices to stay healthy (don’t become a couch potato). Today, we’re sharing 5 quick tips to help you keep in top shape while you have your competitive fun:

1. Protect those peepers

One of the biggest long-term effects to gaming nonstop is computer vision syndrome (yeah, it’s a real thing). From eye strain to blurriness, there are many symptoms of fatigue to staring in front of a computer or iPad for so long.

In addition, blue light emitted from electronic devices has been a growing concern for macular degeneration, which is aging of the macula (the area of the retina that controls your vision). Symptoms can also include eye dryness, fatigue, and difficulty falling asleep.

So protect your precious eyes with a pair of yellow-tinted glasses to block blue light rays. If you already wear glasses, there are handy clip-ons you can add to your glasses for the same protective benefits.

2. Try maintaining good posture

It’s important to avoid “tech neck” from staring down at your phone all day. But if you game on a console and face a TV or a laptop, you also have to be wary of general strain in your posture from staring at a screen all day. Many people over time start leaning forward to see better, and this can lead to a change in your neck. A lot of this strain can be corrected over time or prevented with regular use of a posture correcting brace.

3. Get in some exercise

With all your gaming, you’re probably not getting out and moving too much — and that’s not good for your health. Stay on top of your fitness game with some fitness gear like resistance bands that you easily use from your home.

4. Stay hydrated

If you’re gaming for hours on end, be sure to stay hydrated (as you should everyday regardless of what you are doing). Water keeps you awake and alert — and you’ll need that as you’re shooting enemies and unlocking new levels and achievements in your game. And speaking of achievements, celebrate them with a handy water jug that marks levels of water you should be drinking throughout the day. Convenient, right?

5. Up your ergonomics with the right gear

Feeling tingling and weird numbness in your hand? Experiencing wrist or joint pain? You could be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, which can result from awkward gripping or uncomfortable grips on gaming joysticks or conventional computer mouses.

Enter a handy solution fit for all gamers: The Gamin Shop ergonomic vertical gaming mouse. Designed for a more natural grip that eliminates stiffness and discomfort in the arm, experience a smoother grip on a mouse constructed from skin-like material. For added wrist support, there is a removable palm rest built into the mouse for greater arm comfort.

With these handy health-forward tips, the Gamin Shop hopes you can enjoy your gaming with the right rest, protection, and gear. Don’t sit all day in front of a screen — take breaks, drink water, have regular meals, and try getting some fresh air from time to time.