Sitting correctly while gaming – How to stay healthy despite sitting all the time

Back pain, stiff neck and a mushy feeling after gaming? This can be avoided with a few simple tricks. Find out how!

Table of contents

1. Effects of prolonged sitting

2. 7 tips for a healthy sitting posture

3. Sitting ergonomically while gaming: Here's how it works

4. Must-Knows

Let's be fair: Our favorite sport is not exactly the best health training for back, hips etc. Quite the opposite. But back pain, tense necks and tendonitis don't have to be part of everyday gaming life.

With the right equipment and a few targeted exercise sessions, you can do your body a huge favor with little effort. This will not only thank you with better health, but also with better performance, more focus and concentration . When gaming, at work and in general.

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1. Effects of prolonged sitting

The phrase “Sitting is the new smoking” filled the headlines of all online and print media in 2015. Rightly so. Various studies from 2020 have also confirmed that we sit too much. The price: our mental and physical health. Now and in later years.

The most significant effects of prolonged sitting include:

• Back and neck pain
• Muscular imbalances: increased risk of permanent postural damage
• increased risk of herniated discs
• poorer blood flow to certain parts of the body
• Strained leg veins: increased risk of swollen legs, blood clots and varicose veins, especially if the connective tissue is weak
• Lower metabolic activity: higher risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease

2. 7 tips for a healthy sitting posture

It may all sound far away, but these effects are actually not necessarily needed in the future. But sitting correctly while gaming also has instant effects. With the following 7 tips you can stay healthy despite sitting all the time.

Better posture is healthier and many small healthy habits ensure that you feel a little better overall and can therefore focus better. Overall, these tips make a significant difference.

#1 Find the right gaming chair

The right gaming chair is like the desk chair in the (home) office: it has to fit you and your proportions. What that means is individual and it's worth trying out a few models until you really find the right chair. A price difference of €100 should not be a decisive factor in the decision.

The most important criteria for a gaming chair that you can sit on properly are, for example:

• a lumbar support
• adjustable height to fit your desk
• adjustable back
• adjustable armrest
• padded headrest

#2 Invest in a mouse, keyboard and joystick

Ergonomically designed gaming mice and keyboards can take some getting used to, but are worth it: They are adapted to the shape of the wrist and reduce the likelihood of wrist strain or tendonitis. In some games, a joystick provides a more authentic feel and variety for the hands.

#3 Choose a lightweight headset

Headsets are always light, right? It may feel like that at the beginning, but it's not necessarily true. Over several hours, a few extra grams on your head makes a big difference to your neck and spine. A back-friendly gaming headset weighs less than 300g.

#4 Seat dynamic

Your sitting position can be so perfect. Doing the same thing over and over again is never healthy. The body and spine are designed for movement, which means: Anything that is comfortable is allowed. From sitting according to the ergonomics textbook, to sitting cross-legged, to feet on the table: there is no right or wrong. The main thing is that you add variety. This is especially true in longer sessions.

#5 Move

In addition to sitting variations, also stand up every now and then. The intervertebral discs need nutrients. They only get it if you move. Try to get up briefly once an hour and walk around the apartment. 5 minutes is enough.

If you feel like taking a long break, it's best to get some fresh air and walk around the block. Exercising outside ensures that your brain receives better blood flow and you can get back to work with full focus. Especially in combination with our booster, nothing will stand in your way.

Is that too many interruptions for you? Fair. Then try it like this: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week OR 75 minutes of high-intensity cardio training per week are enough to at least keep the cardiovascular system healthy despite constant sitting. You can also divide this up: 5 days a week for 15 minutes each. Easy!

#6 Develop a 5 minute exercise routine every day

This is for everyone who thinks 15 minutes is too much: exercise for at least 5 minutes a day and get used to more exercise. It's up to you whether you walk circles around the desk for 5 minutes, simply stretch in all directions or do push-ups.

Too much exercise? Then learn a new skill. Excel formulas, a few pieces of programming language, or a poem for Mother's Day: practice something every day that involves movement or that you can do while walking.

#7 Train smart

Do you go to the gym anyway or do strength training regularly? Then train specifically to combat muscular imbalances from gaming. Push-ups are great, but they increase the tension in the pectoral muscle. This also happens when you sit at the PC with your back rounded.

The upper back muscles, on the other hand, are often neglected: so train them specifically. This makes sitting correctly while gaming easier and prevents back pain. The hips and backs of the legs deserve regular mobility sessions .

3. Sitting ergonomically while gaming: Here's how it works

So much for staying healthy despite sitting all the time. Now back to sitting itself. No matter how much you move or how dynamically you sit, gaming always means a lot of sitting. To make this cool, your starting sitting position should be as ergonomic as possible.

A bent head and hunched shoulders in particular strain your muscles in ways they weren't designed for. By purchasing the right equipment, you're taking the first step toward avoiding this. Now you have to adjust everything so that it is really ergonomic. That's how it's done:

#1 Adjust the gaming chair and table correctly

Adjust your chair so that your knees are at a right angle and your feet are firmly on the floor. The armrests are high enough so that your shoulders are relaxed and your forearms rest loosely. The elbows also form a right angle.

The table is at the same height as the armrests , so you can rest your hands with straight wrists without any effort. If the adjustment options for the table and chair don't allow for this combination, get something to rest your feet on.

The backrest supports the natural curve of your lower back and allows you to lean back - including the headrest.

#2 Adjust monitor correctly

The distance between the eyes and the monitor is ideally 50-70 centimeters. This not only benefits your posture, but also your eye health when gaming . If everything has been set up as described so far, your gaze will now automatically fall to the top edge of the screen.

Doesn't fit? Then get a monitor riser or just place it on a few books. Now perhaps tilt the bottom edge of the screen slightly towards you so that you have a perfect view of the game. This set-up relieves the strain on your neck as your gaze automatically falls slightly downwards without you having to move your head.

#3 Adjust mouse and keyboard

The keyboard and mouse are placed on the table so that you can easily reach both without having to lean forward. Take the test: Sit comfortably and relaxed. Mouse and keyboard are still easy to access? Then it's perfect.

4. Must-Knows

• The right gaming equipment and its ergonomic setting are the be-all and end-all.
• According to the WHO, 75 minutes of intensive cardiovascular training per week counteracts the effects of prolonged sitting.
• Even small daily exercise units are enough to prevent tension.