Online gaming is rising, with millions of people playing their favorite games online every day. According to Statista, there were 3.21 billion video gamers globally by the end of 2021, and that number is projected to grow to 3.8 billion by 2027. Whether it’s just a fun hobby, a way to socialize, or trying to hone gaming skills – video games are enjoyed by people from all walks of life.
Beyond the common reasons just mentioned, competitive gaming has become prevalent, with lots of people in for big prizes sitting at home. In eSports, the 2020 Call of Duty League Championship winning team, Dallas Empire, took home a whopping $1.5 million for coming in first place. In the PUBG Global Championship 2021, the winning team NewHappy took home a massive $1,378,264! The same applies to poker – the prestigious World Series of Poker allows people to qualify online to compete for the big prize. This is driving online poker’s popularity, but this also means that there are more people sitting at home competing in serious events.
Despite these games being lucrative opportunities to make some extra cash, there’s also a negative aspect to consider. Sitting and playing for many hours often leads to a sedentary lifestyle that can cause health problems, like restricting blood flow. If blood flow is blocked, it could result in a heart attack or stroke. On the other hand, when your blood flow is optimized, your memory and cognitive functions improve. If you’re playing poker, you could easily calculate poker odds and study your opponents’ tells to know their thinking. If you’re sniping in Call of Duty, you’d be quick and accurate and take out each target with just one shot.
This is what happens when gamers have good blood flow. Luckily, there are some things you can do, and we’ll cover how gamers can improve blood flow, despite being sedentary for significant periods.
- Improve Your Posture
Gamers often sit in front of a screen with a hunched back for many hours, which can cause problems with their posture and restrict blood flow. Sitting up straight and aligning the display screen with the eye level helps to avoid postural problems. If there’s some extra cash in the bank, investing in an ergonomic gaming chair that is height adjustable, padded with cushion, and has armrests is another great way to achieve great back support. This way, blood flow will be improved, and the gamer would be able to sit for longer periods play many poker hands in a comfortable position.
- Drink Plenty Of Water
Drinking plenty of water during gameplay is vital, as hours without oral fluids can lead to dehydration. Staying hydrated helps improve blood flow by ensuring adequate total body water content that affects blood volume. Our recent post entitled You Should Bring To The Gym And Refreshing Drinks For Your Health provided some tips on staying hydrated. The current recommendation is to drink 2.7 liters a day for women and 3.7 liters daily for men. To make it a habit, at the end of each Call of Duty mission, gamers could reach for a cold glass of water as a reward!
- Use a Stationary Bicycle
One of the most convenient ways to get the blood flowing is to exercise, and setting up a stationary bicycle beside the gamer’s battle station is the perfect combo. This machine is excellent for cardio exercises and is guaranteed to get the heart pumping and blood flowing! An article in the NY Times points out that exercising has many benefits to one’s cardiovascular health. Plus, with this machine, gamers not only work the heart but also their abdominal core muscles and leg muscles and even burn body fat. If you were trying to bluff with a weak hand and somebody called you on it, a stationary bicycle can be a great way to blow off some steam!
Competitive gaming may equate to having a sedentary lifestyle, but that doesn’t mean that the blood flow has to be compromised. Try these tips out and feel blood flow as you win!
