With the pandemic and lockdown, computer gaming has become a favored pastime. No need to go out at all and you can have fun for as long as you want. The problem is that hardcore gaming has some hardcore health effects. Everything from seizures to obesity can be traced back to too much gaming. While some of it is an exaggeration, there is still some truth in the claims. If you want to stay healthy, you need to take some precautions.
Have Some Water Handy
When you are playing video games, it can be a good idea to have a thermos of cold water nearby. Many people would likely think Mountain Dew or other sodas would be better, but those dehydrate people. Their caffeine content drains the water your body needs. A normal human requires up to 1.5 liters of water every day. This is to meet the various needs of your body, especially in your digestion and carrying nutrients to various parts of the body. If you start skipping on the water, then you can expect to feel weakness, dizziness, and other signs of dehydration. Keep hydrated to ensure your healthy while gaming.
Take A Break
Gaming puts a lot of strain on your eyes. Looking at the screen for a long time can dry out your eyes, especially when you are looking to pay attention to all the various details. Play too long, and you can expect your eyes to start to ache. If you want to avoid that mess, you should observe the 20-20-20 rule. This is simple to stop every twenty minutes and look away from the screen for twenty seconds at something that is twenty feet away. That should ease the strain a bit. But it would be best if you took it a bit further. Take a full break and stand up. Move around and maybe even go out for a bit. This ensures that your body doesn’t just stay in the chair or the beanbag for hours on end.
Ensure That You Eat Healthily
During your gaming binge, you likely don’t want to stop for anything but a quick meal. This usually means fast food. You also likely want to keep going with some snacks. The trouble is all of those are full of sugar, fat, and salt. It would be best if you tried to change your eating habits to a more healthy mode. The best way to do so is by substituting your snacks for something healthier. Eating fruits instead of processed food is a great compromise. For example, you can freeze some grapes as a quick treat. They taste like grapes, yes, but they feel great in the mouth as they start melting. For something to fill you up more, try sushi instead of pizza. The seaweed, fish, and rice are much more nutritious than a carbohydrate-laden pizza.
Take Vitamins and Supplements
To stay healthy, you will also need to take supplements. Even with a healthier eating habit, you likely do not get all the nutrients that your body needs. Taking vitamins to add to your current intake can be a great idea. For example, ascorbic acid is great to get all the vitamin C you need, while chewable iron tablets add to the iron intake that you are missing out. With these, you can be sure that your body has the necessary vitamins and minerals to keep itself running.
Your health is a priority in these times. While it can be fun to lock yourself up in your room during the weekends for a gaming binge, they can be very unhealthy. Take the right precautions, and you should be able to have fun with no worries at all.
