If there’s one thing in common between gaming and desk work, it’s encouraging poor sitting posture. It is practically an epidemic; a lot of us are leaning forward for hours, staring at bright screens and putting a serious strain on our spines. This leads to backachespinal dysfunction, degenerative joint disease, unattractiveness and other painful conditions.
Have you ever thought to yourself, I want to be better at games, but I don’t want to ruin my life? We’re here to help with a special week just for all things video games and health.
Having sat with terrible posture for years, I really feel the effects. In particular, I started to feel discomfort and pain along my entire spine when lying on my back, like I was in a tight knot. Since I always curl up in my sleep and spend all day hunched over my keyboard, my spine is not used to me lying flat! I also began to realize the consequences of my standing posture. My head seems to be a little too far forward. It looks “off”. My neck muscles weaken after years of bending my head forward.
I decided that I would try to practice to maintain good posture while playing the game, but I accidentally and unconsciously fell into a premonition. A drastic approach is needed.
That’s how I discovered what I like to call “neck exercise”. That’s exactly what it sounds like. Using head weight and slow, steady progression, you can strengthen your neck and keeping it upright, with great posture, is much easier. If you’re interested in generating some benefit for the player, here are two great exercises.
Standard head lift
You can do this super simple exercise at home or at the gym.
All you need to do is find something flat and comfortable to lie on that allows your head to dangle over the edge. A couch or a sturdy bed will do, but an exercise chair is probably the most convenient.
Lie on your back with your head completely off the edge, slowly lower your head back as much as you can, then slowly lift your head up into a slightly upturned chin position. Repeat this as much as you can, with a goal of about 30 reps. Try to do about three sets as much as possible, under the age of 30.
If you can do three sets of 30 easily, with only your head weight, then you can add a small exercise weight. I recommend small increments of 0.25 pounds. We will discuss how to add and support this weight in a moment.
Face down
We will do the same thing as before, but face down. We’re training the other side of the neck with this one.
With your head off the edge, slowly lower your head to a hanging position, then raise it back so it’s in line with your body. Don’t try to raise your head any further. Normal vertical alignment is what we are doing. Do your best to achieve three sets of 30 repetitions; These are light, high-volume exercises.
add weight
When it comes to neck training, it’s imperative that you play it safe and slow things down. The important thing to remember is Neck injuries can have profound effectsbut it’s okay if we relax and get comfortable with everything.
For a standard head elevation, place a towel over your forehead. This is to create friction to keep the weight safe and act as a buffer from your forehead. Gently place the 0.25-pound weight on your forehead and hold it, pulling it gently towards you. Maintain this grip and proceed with the exercise.
For the face-down raise, we’ll do the same thing. Place the towel and weight behind your head, hold the weight in place with your hands, and proceed as usual.
Benefits of neck exercises
After doing this for a few days, I noticed that it became easier to support the weight of my neck. This makes maintaining good posture, even subconsciously, while gaming much less strenuous.
Some people also swear that developing a thicker neck through exercise can increase your physical attractiveness. I’ll let you make your own, but it sounds convincing enough.
In my own experience, other benefits include less back stiffness, as your posture habits improve, as well as increased general confidence in your ability to go straight with your head. .
As for my posture, the improvement is day and night. I feel like I have a bigger presence in the eyes of those around me. Crouching down, I always felt a little invisible. Maybe it’s purely mental, but confidence is mental! I also feel encouraged to gradually exercise more and improve my general fitness by starting slowly with neck exercises. Perhaps most importantly, my gaming habits are also much healthier, and long-term playing doesn’t put as much strain on my back as it used to.
At least, it’s worth a try; then you can decide if neck exercises are right for you!
