Man, I love gaming, but I won’t lie: it has done some damage to my body. My neck hurts, my lower back hurts, my wrists hurt, my eyes don’t work like they used to. I blame lag whenever I lose at Call of Duty, but the truth is, years of not looking after myself when gaming has left its toll on me.
I know I’m not alone. Gaming seemed to be a dirty secret when I was growing up, but these days, people are spending more time than ever in front of their computer screens, fully immersed in virtual worlds. However, this extended period of sedentary gaming can have negative effects on both physical and mental health. To counteract these risks, many gamers, myself included, are turning to standing desks as a way to enhance their gaming experience and promote overall well-being.
They also look cool, which is a nice bonus.
Prolonged Sitting Is Bad, M’Kay?
Sitting on our asses for hours at a time is bad for us. We know it is true. But, when we’re 3 hours into a raid in World of Warcraft or spending another hundred bucks on FIFA Ultimate Team packs because I must have Pele, sometimes we forget to take a break to let our bodies heal.
Hours fly by when we’re engrossed in a game.
Unfortunately, sitting for extended periods can take a toll on our health. Medical research has linked prolonged sitting to various health issues, including obesity, cardiovascular problems, muscle strains, and poor circulation. This can lead to back and neck pain and a general feeling of stiffness that I personally live with every day.
So, Uh…Take a Stand?
I never thought that I’d say this (let alone write it on the internet for other people to read), but I made the decision to buy a standing desk last year. It isn’t as nice as the Flexispot E7 standing desk that John has reviewed – it is more of a topper for my current desk that I have to manually raise and lower, but it gets the job done.
Standing desks, also known as sit-stand desks, offer the flexibility to switch between sitting and standing positions, allowing for more movement and reducing the negative effects of prolonged sitting. Standing for at least 25% of our day has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, improve circulation, and alleviate back and neck pain caused by prolonged sitting. We can level up our health while leveling up our characters.
Yes, that was corny. No, I don’t care.
One of the key advantages of standing desks for gaming is the ability to get the perfect ergonomic setup for you. Unlike traditional desks, standing desks offer adjustable height options, allowing us to find the perfect ergonomic position for our gaming experience. We can tailor the desk height to our individual preferences, and have the freedom to sit when we choose to and stand when we choose to. Personally, I tend to sit when I’m playing more intense moments in games, and to stand during cut scenes or sections of games where exploration is the main focus.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve neglected your body more than you should have when immersed in game worlds that you can’t remember anymore. Now it’s time to do something for your body and for yourself: get yourself a standing desk for your gaming setup. It might sound like a pointless change, but I’ve found that having a standing desk has made even more of a difference than when I scrapped my crappy cheap office chair for a more ergonomic one. I used to slouch when using my old desk, but I’ve mostly fixed my posture by setting my desk to the right height for my body, and also by making sure that I stand for 15-20 minutes each hour while gaming.
Buy a standing desk for gaming. Future you will thank you for it.
