Now, don't get me wrong - it was totally worth it. I love a good gaming marathon. Especially after putting up with people at work all day long, sometimes it's nice to get home, sit back, relax, and kill some zombies... for 8 hours at a time. But when you do game for those long stretches, keep in mind that you can be putting your body through some extra stress. Why did my body refuse to support me? It was basically revolting against me. Here are some tips to make the gaming marathons a bit more enjoyable.
1. Swollen Ankles
This is a problem for anyone who spends a significant amount of time sitting down. Both your circulatory (blood) system and your lymphatic (think gross body fluid drainage system) work with a system of one way valves and rely largely on muscular contractions to help move fluids. Basically your muscles work to pump blood back to your heart. This is especially true in the legs, which are further from the heart than the upper body. When you spend too much time sitting down you aren't using your legs (duh), so gravity takes over and fluids can pool in the ankles, feet and calves. To help prevent this, get up every hour or so. Do some calves raises, stretches, and walk around.
2. Carpal Tunnel
Carpal tunnel is a common problem if you spend a lot of time typing. It's more common in writers and office work than gaming, but its still a computer problem so I'm including it here. The bones in your wrist (carpal bones) are small and the spaces between the bones are also small. So if you spend a lot of time using your hands, you are putting stress on all the muscles and nerves that have to fit in those small spaces. One nerve in particular, the median nerve, has a tendency to become really irritated. That's what carpal tunnel is: just your median nerve (see the picture below) becoming irritated because you're putting it through a lot of stress. This condition feels like tingling in the fingertip (most commonly the middle finger) and can lead to numbness and extreme pain in the hands, wrist and fingers. As this condition worsens you may also feel cramping and may experience your muscles being "stuck" in a certain position.
It would be funny if it weren't so painful. Again stretching may help this condition (in its early stages). You want to focus on stretches that extend the wrist fingers and elbow.
Other things that can help to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome are good posture while typing and wrist support.
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| maybe not a pastry but you get the idea |
3. Upper Cross Syndrome
This basically just means you have bad posture. Pretty common in anyone who spends a significant amount of time on the computer. The syndrome is characterized by rounded shoulders and a forward head. Basically, picture the way you sit in front of the computer. When you remain in this posture for extended periods of time it becomes your body's default posture. The problem with bad posture is it weakens some of your muscles (in this case the ones in the upper back and front of your neck) and causes other muscles to be tightened (your shoulder and chest muscles). This can lead to decreased circulation, tension headaches and extra wear and tear on your body. Again, stretching your shoulders, chest and neck will help, but this needs to be combined with strengthening exercises for your upper back and neck. If you can maintain proper posture and use an ergonomic (fancy word for something that supports good posture) chair while you're at the computer you should be able to prevent this.
4. Headaches
Sometimes just the strain of staring at a TV or computer screen can give you a headache. Your eyes have muscles just like the rest of your body, and just like your legs and arms, your eye muscles can get tired. If you are experiencing a headache, it's time to take a break and rest your eyes. You can also practice visual acuity exercises to help your eye muscles. These are exercises that help improve your eyes' ability to focus and track (unfortunately they won't help improve vision). And make sure you are drinking enough water while you game. Keep yourself hydrated.
5. Limbs Falling Asleep
That awkward moment when you were doing a battleground and forgot you were sitting on your foot for 30 minutes. Yeah - that will make your foot fall asleep. But it can be more than that: maybe you're not sitting on your foot, but your legs or feet still keep falling asleep. This is similar to what I mentioned before with the ankle swelling. The less you use your leg muscles the more blood will pool in your lower extremities, decreasing your overall blood flow (the cause of your pins and needles). Again, you should get up every hour and walk around to prevent this from happening. Proper support for your body also makes a huge difference. Ergonomic (means it aligns your body) chairs help support your hips and low back which can help with blood flow. Compression is yet another cause of decreased blood flow. You want a chair with some padding (in the right areas). The padding will help support you body without putting too much compression on any one area.
If you have any questions for me, ask in the comments. Or if you'd like an elaboration on any of these points, let me know. Feel free to let me know any other conditions you'd like me to write about - just ask :)
**Please remember that all recommendations made here are based off of my personal experience and education and are meant as general guidelines. Every person is an individual and if you are experiencing any chronic pain you should see you doctor: they know you and any limitations, injuries or conditions you have and will be able to advise you on what is best for you as an individual.
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