As a PC gamer, you might spend hours each night sitting at your computer strategizing with your teammates or attempting to beat the next level. All of that time sitting can adversely affect your health, resulting in discomfort and pain throughout your body. Thankfully, you can mitigate the damage by fitting your gaming station ergonomically to support your body appropriately. Pay close attention to the following areas to keep your body healthy through hours upon hours of gaming.
Adjustable Chair
If your joints and muscles sit out of alignment for extended periods of time, you might feel intense pain in those areas. While sitting at the computer, your feet should sit flat on the floor and your arms should sit close to your body with your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle. Furthermore, you need to keep the curved lumbar region in your back supported with a soft, yet firm, surface.
Investing in a high quality, adjustable chair from a place like Design Center Furniture can keep your body's joints and muscles aligned in this proper manner. You should be able to adjust the seat height, lumbar curve and arm rest position to suit your specific body shape and frame size.
Slanted Footrest
If you cannot consciously keep your feet flat on the floor, think about using a slanted footrest for support. The footrest should sit at a 45-degree angle to naturally align the joints in your pelvis, hips and spine. Do not just rest your toes on the footrest. To gain the full range of benefits, your heels need to sit flat against the surface. Make sure the footrest has textured pads on the bottom to keep it from sliding around under your weight.
Multi-Height Desk
While sitting at your desk, you should not have to bend or stoop to connect gaming peripherals or turn on your devices. Obtain a desk with several surfaces designed to hold your computer equipment at an arm's reach.
You should be able to situate your computer tower, monitor and printer on the desk to keep them far off the floor. In addition to benefiting your body, having the computer equipment on a raised surface protects it from static electricity and dust accumulation.
Try to find a desk with a pullout keyboard and mouse pad to keep your arms close to your sides while gaming. You can also install an aftermarket keyboard and mouse tray if you find the perfect desk configuration that does not have this feature.
Monitor Stand
You need to make sure your monitor sits at a comfortable height that protects against the development of severe neck pain. The monitor should sit directly in front of your seating area. Positioning it off to the side can irritate the vertebrae in your neck and back, resulting in damage and lifelong pain.
You should never have to look up at your computer screen. Instead, make sure you look down onto the screen at a 10 to 20 degree angle. If your desk surface sits too low, you can achieve this perfect angle by using an adjustable monitor stand. Also, angle the screen on your monitor upward slightly to position the screen parallel to your face.
Creating Your Workspace
Test the fitment of each component to make sure it suits your body makeup perfectly. Pay close attention to your posture and comfort while testing out your desk, chair, footrest and monitor stand. If everything feels fine in the first few minutes, perform an hour-long test and see how you feel afterward. At that point, take a recommended five-minute break to assess your new gaming station design. Even after approving the components, continue to take five-minute breaks for every hour of gaming to protect your health in the long run.
Share5 November 2014
