A sound mind and sound body is a benefit to anyone, even gamers.
As esports continues to mature, there’s one thing that players and organizations cannot deny: there are clear benefits to physical fitness for gaming.
Many have long held the assumption that you don’t have to be physically fit to be good at video games. In that same manner, you don’t have to be in peak physical condition to become an esports athlete. And while both are true, there’s also no reason that you shouldn’t be fit and healthy as a gamer.
In fact, studies have shown that there are advantages to keeping up your physical fitness for gaming. We narrowed them down to the three primary ones right here.
Mental Clarity, Acuity, and Focus
Many games, especially competitive ones, require two things from a player in order to be good at them: focus and reaction time.
It’s a good thing then that regular physical activity is already known to help increase your reaction time. Simple exercises such as running or cycling improves the blood flow into your brain, thus increasing cognitive functions and reducing the time it takes for your brain to process information.
And while things like meditation and brain exercises can improve your focus, physical activity can help with this as well. Exercising can increase the production of endorphins in the brain, which are not only natural painkillers but mood enhancers as well. This helps regulate your emotions, reduce stress and anxiety, and keep you focused on the task at hand.
Plus, you don’t need to be doing anything physically extreme or taxing to get this benefit. Even a basic yoga routine can increase your mindfulness and give you better control over your thoughts and emotions.
Stamina and Endurance
We all love long gaming sessions and playing the whole day is the basic reality of an esports athlete. That’s why staying healthy and fit is one of the biggest benefits of physical fitness for gaming.
Gaming can be exhausting in its own way and it’s not uncommon to take a lot of supplements, like energy drinks, to stay focused. However, this is certainly not the best way to maintain your energy levels and it can have far worse effects on your body in the long run.
The fact of the matter is that to be more energetic, you have to work for it. Strength training and aerobic exercises can increase your stamina and endurance for those long gaming sessions. This goes hand-in-hand with increasing your focus because the only way to get more stamina is to gradually increase it bit by bit. It’ll take a while but you should find that you have more energy for just about anything.
Injury Prevention
It’s rather understated but this is probably one of the more important benefits of physical fitness for gaming.
Long sessions plus a mostly sedentary activity means that gaming can leave our bodies inert and prone to injury. Those familiar with esports have already heard a number of stories about careers being cut short because of any number of hand, arm, shoulder, or back problems. That’s why the only cure is to just be more active, to remind your body that it was meant to move around.
A simple stretch break can do wonders for the body but exercising is still the best way to prevent injuries. It reactivates those muscles that we don’t use while gaming and we also get all those neat benefits mentioned above.
And as always, you don’t need to do anything extreme to experience the benefits of good physical fitness in gaming. You just need to find a pace that works for you and stick with it. Make it a regular habit and soon you’ll not only be gaming better but be healthier as well.
Banner photo by Eren Li / Pexels.