Vitality 101, v.2. Updated 23-08-09.
This guide aims to outline the easiest ways to moderate playing habits and stay healthy in front of the computer screen. It contains ways to keep your eyes, hands and back free from serious harm and some practical advice on diet and exercise. For many of you this will be common sense at its finest.
Whatever the case, you follow this advice at your own risk. I am not a member of the medical profession, nor am I a psychiatrist or dietician. In particular, those with back problems should seek their doctor’s opinion before attempting the stretches and exercises below.
A final note: everybody has a ninety-year-old grandfather who smoked cigarettes since he was twelve and never contracted lung cancer. Just because you’ve never experienced any problems from sitting around in front of the computer for eight hours at a time, it doesn’t mean that the associated health problems are myths. You don’t have to take this advice, but please don’t use your own anecdotal evidence to critique it.
Posture
• Sit up straight. It’s the single most important thing you can do for your back, breathing and digestion. Shoulders back but relaxed, lower back supported by a decent chair or a rolled-up towel, feet flat on the floor.
• Move your computer to accommodate you, not the other way round. Make sure your eyes are level with the screen, that you don’t have to stretch to reach the mouse and keyboard, and that your chair is the right height to facilitate all this. You shouldn’t be looking significantly up or down at the screen as that will cause neck and back pain.
• Ergonomic chairs and computer equipment can be especially beneficial if you spend a good deal of time at the computer. If you’re particularly tall or short it becomes even more important to choose adjustable or appropriately-sized desk chairs: trust me on this.
It’s hard to develop good posture if you don’t currently have it, but it’s something that you can take away from the computer too. Be aware of how you’re standing, sitting and walking, so that when you’re busy at the computer you learn to self-correct without thinking about it. It might help you to visualise so-called 'puppet posture':
Imagine that you're a puppet. There's a string coming out of the top of your head - gently lift this straight upwards to straighten your spine. Your arms and shoulders will assume the best posture they can.
Younger readers especially should note that standing properly will pay dividends not only in interviews and the workplace but also socially. The way you carry yourself gives off a very strong message about your confidence, or lack thereof.
Movement and exercise
Get up and move around at least every hour. No excuses. If you really don’t want to waste five minutes of your allotted gaming time, stretch while you fly somewhere. I like to set my character flying to wherever, then go off and put on some laundry or do five minutes of Pilates. Runner’s stretches are also a good bet since they target the legs and back.
Some good runners’ stretches Computer and desk stretches
When you’re done for the session or for the day, try the Alexander Technique’s semi-supine ‘active resting’ position to relax your muscles and mind:
Lie on your back on a carpeted floor in a warm room. Place your feet flat on the floor and bend your knees so they’re pointing upwards towards the ceiling, to free up your lower back. Support your head on some books – just enough to make sure your head isn’t pulled back and straining your neck. Hands on your stomach or the floor next to you – don’t cross them or fold them. Let your shoulders rest against the floor and your lower back stretch gently and relax. Five or ten minutes of this will really help restore your posture and chill you out. Think about calm, steady breathing and clearing your mind as much as you can.
Eyes
• If you need glasses for reading, wear them in front of the computer as well. A good rule is the “
20-20-20” system: for every twenty minutes you look at a book, television or computer screen, spend twenty seconds focussing on something about twenty feet away.
• Make sure the room is well-lit and don’t spend your time with your nose pressed against the screen.
Headaches
A common problem with many causes. Giving your eyes a break, keeping well hydrated, maintaining steady blood sugar levels, gaming in a well-lit room and making sure you get regular eye tests will all help reduce the likelihood of headaches. As always, however, if headaches persist abnormally or if you start suffering from migraines, consult your doctor.
Hands
RSI – Repetitive Strain Injury - is a blanket term covering any damage to the soft tissue in the hands. Poor posture contributes greatly to your chances of tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome, but the worst culprit is making the same movement over and over again.
• Follow the posture notes above and in addition try not to use either your keyboard or your mouse exclusively.
• Divide up regularly used key bindings and movement so you’re not placing stress on the same hand or fingers.
• Don’t over-click! Hammering the same mouse button or key over and over won’t really achieve anything.
• Pick up a wrist support and an ergonomic mouse or keyboard if you’re going to be spending a lot of time in front of the computer. It also helps to make sure your wrists are slightly lower than your elbows when at the computer.
If you crack your knuckles, try to stop. It won’t give you arthritis but studies have shown that it can cause reduced grip strength and swollen hands which makes sense given that you’re bending your fingers at unnatural angles.
A quick Google search will bring up a myriad of stretches and exercises for your hands and arms. See which ones work best for you and get into the habit of doing them.
Snacks
There are many things which need to take precedence over gaming time. Meals are one of these and, crucially, snacking does not replace a meal. Twenty minutes out of your busy farming schedule will fuel your body and mind for the next raid, quest marathon, or set of dailies. I won’t insult you all by perpetuating the stereotype that gamers are a bunch of overweight, sweaty men living off energy drinks and pizza, but it’s true that junk food is the easiest to prepare and the most convenient to eat in front the computer. I’m probably in a minority when I say to my party, “Hang on guys, I have to go and take my casserole out the oven!”
• Prepare your meal before you start playing, set it to cook and eat it in a scheduled break.
• Alternatively, stock up on fruit, vegetables, brown bread, yoghurt, juice, spreading cheese; basically anything that requires minimal preparation, the logic here being that if you raid a lot you’re probably more likely to break for a quick, cold meal.
• Have a bottle of water or sugar-free squash with you while you play to hold off dehydration, especially if you’re talking for long stretches. Additionally, drinking plenty will get you on your feet and off to the bathroom regularly. This is especially important for women to help ward off cystitis, which will affect about 30% of women at some point in their lives.
• Only eat when you’re hungry! Scheduled meal times will really help you with this, but if you have snacks on the desk, the temptation will be to nibble. Leave it in the kitchen until your stomach tells you it’s time to eat.
Sanity
Guild drama, wiped raids, latency and generally dealing with other people can be as stressful as your school or work life. If you can feel that your heartbeat’s rising, that you’re glowering at the screen, snapping at your friends and family or seriously considering drop-kicking your yappy dog out the window, you need to turn off the computer and decompress for a while.
• Recognise when stress is affecting you and take a break. Or better yet, pre-empt it and set the in-game timer so you play in smaller, but more productive sessions.
• Don’t over-stimulate your mind. Are you playing WoW, watching that film, listening to music or having a conversation with your girlfriend? You can't possibly be concentrating on all four. Entertainment whilst repetitively farming mats or flying to the other side of Azeroth is fine, but if you have too much constantly vying for your attention you’ll be compromising your effectiveness in-game.
• Work/life balance is key. I’m not aiming to tell you where the cut-off point for ‘too much gaming’ is because it varies. But if you’re finding other areas of your life are lacking because of the time you’re spending in-game, you need to address that. Which brings me to:
Addiction
It’s possible that you’re a very casual player and you consider your nightly hour of WoW and can of Coke your post-work relaxation ritual. However, if you feel that you are unable to drag yourself away from games and that it is adversely affecting any area of your life, you need to adjust your time management. There are some links below which may inspire you to better manage your time online and in-game. If you honestly feel that you are unable to control your playing habits, I suggest asking a friend to set the parental controls with a password you do not know.
There are some cases in which it may be necessary to seek professional help: often, individuals who require this do not themselves see the magnitude of their problem. Whether or not you believe you have a problem, if somebody close to you expresses their worry at the amount of time you spend gaming it is worth attempting to honestly evaluate the situation. Even if you wouldn’t consider yourself a “hardcore” player, clearly there is at least one real life relationship which is suffering. Respect that a friend or family member is concerned.
Behaviours to be aware of in yourself or friends include: concealing or lying about time spent playing WoW, feeling irritable when unable to play, becoming angry when challenged about gaming habits.
Ultimately, learn to listen to your body and be proactive in monitoring your physical and mental health. Aches and pains, pins and needles, nausea, headaches and irritability are all signs that it’s had enough of what its doing and needs a break. Don’t be blasé about the above, and if you have no underlying medical conditions and yet consider yourself used to pain after a long evening in front of the computer, then you need to adjust your habits.
If any unusual or intense pain persists for longer than 48 hours, please make an appointment to see your doctor. Donor perks!
Ciderhelm lists some excellent reasons for you to donate in
this post, but if you needed more incentive, we also have a fitness forum where us donors post our exercise goals and activities and provide mutual encouragement and support to one another.
Links Time management for kids – blog post by a teenager for other teens.
Web addiction test – this is fairly basic but the questions may form a thought-provoking starting point.
Beating computer addiction. 
Cheers!
