Gaming is becoming an increasingly competitive industry with many different types of challenges and competitions engaging gamers more than ever before. With this added engagement, however, comes a brand new set of challenges to health and wellness as professionals are working to find ways gamers can maintain their health despite the intensity and commitment that comes with competitive gaming which is why frequent and regular stretching is highly recommended. Most of these are designed to prevent the development of issues prior to their development and manifestation over time. These techniques can be especially useful since they can prevent and mitigate injuries before they even take place Of course, frequent and regular stretching won't completely mitigate injuries, and so if your aches and pains persist, make sure to see a chiropractor with ergonomic experience.
Generally speaking, gaming is a process that requires a significant amount of engagement and attention simultaneously which can cause people to become neglectful of other important factors such as posture and exercise. The tension and stress that builds up within the body from sitting and looking at a screen for such long periods of time can add up to quite a significant amount of build up that can be much more difficult to treat later on. This is why it is important to work continuously and regularly on stretching to prevent these types of build ups from taking place. The following stretches, if performed regularly, should help prevent some of these developments from taking place.
1 - The Stand Up Arm Stretch
Sitting down and having the hands in a downwards position while gaming for so long can add up to quite a significant amount of pressure on the shoulders and back. This is why there can be a significant amount of benefit from standing up and stretching out the arms as much as possible every hour or so. Doing so can release some of the locked tension that is built up in this area a little bit as opposed to letting the tension build up even more over time. This is only one stretch, however, and should be used with others
2 - The Squat Stretch
Gaming for long periods of time requires a significant amount of sitting which can cut a lot of flow and circulation throughout the body to the legs and lower back .For this reason, doing squatting stretches and moving the legs around in this way is going to be useful. Taking away from some of pressure that is continuously on the lower back from sitting for so long is going to be really useful for preventing the development of stress and pressure that ultimately results in back pain for so many people each year.
3 - Touch Toes
Touching toes has been a regularly used stretch for so many years and with good reason. Reaching downwards to touch one’s toes opens up all of the muscles in the back from the calves all the way up to the shoulders and this is where the usefulness of this particular stretch comes into place. While most of the body is held up during the process of gameplay, bending over towards the ground is going to open up and stretch the body in new ways which is going to contribute to the value of the stretch
4 - Step Ups / Knee Raises
People are used to keeping their bodies balanced which is why it is unnatural to keep the body in an unequal or uneven position for regular periods at a time such as when climbing up a stair. This causes the body to lose some of its mobility in these areas and causes them to be stiff and rigid. Doing step ups can be useful for people looking to get rid of this by stretching out the parts of the hip that are not in use when walking on a flat ground or sitting for so long while gaming.
5 Trunk Twists
The body spends a significant amount of time facing forward in one direction and so the ability to rotate left and right can be significantly impacted as a result. Being able to turn and open up the lower parts of the hip and body that are not normally in use is one way to help increase the blood flow to this part of the body and contribute to increased flexibility over time.
Conclusion
There is no single stretch or technique that is going to meet the needs of all gamers. Instead, it is going to depend on their particular circumstances as well as their specific strategies used throughout the course of their gaming that is going to contribute to their success. Gamers that manage their health over a long period of time are much more likely to do well than gamers that do not and that is where the importance of having these types of stretches comes into play. Of course, frequent and regular stretching won’t completely mitigate injuries already incurred, so if aches and pains persist, make sure to see a chiropractor with ergonomic experience.
