Video games are incredibly popular worldwide, and the gaming market is only continuing to grow as it becomes increasingly sophisticated and diverse. While gaming is generally a very safe hobby, it isn’t entirely risk-free; gamers need to be especially mindful of their posture if they want to avoid long-term health issues stemming from poor ergonomics. This tutorial explains how you can find the ideal ergonomic gaming desk setup for you.
Why is Having an Ergonomic Desk Setup Important?
If you’re someone who spends all their day at their desk, then your posture may actually end up having a far bigger impact on your health and overall wellbeing than you realize. This is especially true if you love gaming, online gambling, or other hobbies that will have you staring at a screen for hours. If you’ve recently found yourself wondering how to win at roulette, for instance, or have better success with the game, then your desk setup will probably be more important than you think.
For one thing, poor posture can cause all kinds of cramps, aches, and discomfort. In the longer term, it can have a detrimental effect on your health, too. Postural issues have been linked to a wide range of ailments and illnesses, including joint degeneration, spine problems, and back pain, just to name a few.
Fortunately, this isn’t a foregone conclusion, even if you’re someone who struggles with maintaining proper posture throughout the day or a long gaming session. You can make several simple adaptations that make it far easier for us to practice better posture for longer.
And the easiest way to do so is adapting our gaming setup. By making a few key changes to factors like desk and screen height, what chair you use, your monitors, you can stay comfortable for even the longest of gaming sessions and reduce your risk of long-term postural issues, too.
Our Top Tips for the Ideal Ergonomic Gaming Desk Setup
Using a Standing/Height-Adjustable Desk
One of the best changes you can make to a home gaming setup is investing in a standing or height-adjustable gaming desk. We’re big fans of height-adjustable desks in general, because they can allow you to get the ideal desk height for you.
Using a desk that is too low or too high will generally cause us to sit with our necks in an uncomfortable or unnatural position to be able to see our screen properly. Doing so repeatedly, and for prolonged periods (which is almost a given for gamers) can, over time, result in issues like neck ache or strain, as well as referred pain in other parts of the body.
Fortunately, a height-adjustable desk is the perfect way to combat this. You can raise or lower your desk so that your monitor is at eye level. Doing so allows you to keep your neck in a neutral, comfortable position, which is one of the cornerstones of proper posture.
And, if your long-term wellbeing is of particular concern, you’ll likely want to go with a standing desk, if you can. There is mounting research to suggest that sitting for extended periods is associated with a number of serious health issues, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and metabolic resistance. If left untreated, these can massively increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes; and, most standing desks are height-adjustable, too, so you can really get the best of both worlds.
Note that, if a new desk is out of your budget, you can raise the height of your monitor by resting it on something like a stack of books or another, stable surface. This isn’t as convenient as using a height-adjustable desk but can be a great temporary fix.
A Well-Designed Desk or Gaming Chair is Crucial
Using an ergonomic chair is equally as important as getting the right desk height and setup. Plenty of desk chairs nowadays will allow you to adjust their seat height, width, and depth, which is key if you want to be able to sit comfortably and with proper posture.
Ideally, your chair will support you in having a relaxed, fairly neutral spine, as well as a straight neck (rather than leaning too far forward). It’s also becoming increasingly common for gaming chairs to include additional ergonomic features, including arm and even leg rests, which will keep you comfortable and sitting properly for hours at a time.
Consider Using Ergonomic Desk Accessories/Multiple Monitors
Another great way851 to make your gaming setup more ergonomic is by using different desk accessories that can help you maintain a better, more neutral posture. One example could be an ergonomic mouse pad; usually, these feature wrist support to reduce strain on your hands and forearms, which helps with preventing issues like carpal tunnel from developing.
And it doesn’t just look cool; using multiple monitors can actually help you from straining your eyes and neck while gaming. A dual monitor setup will let you see more, eliminating the need for you to lean forward or crane your neck when looking at the screen.
