Healthy Living to Stay at the Top of Your Game

There’s a certain negative stereotype that gamers have had for many years and it’s highly unflattering: unhealthy, gloom-dwelling beings with bad posture! Now, thankfully, this is starting to change and it’s all thanks to the rise of eSports.

Since professional gaming took off in the early noughties the industry and the culture has gradually begun to change. Year on year the general profile has altered for the better. The non-gamers out there now come into contact with professional tournaments on a regular basis through the big bookmakers who offer eSports alongside more established sports such as football, boxing and horse racing. There’s also now a continual stream of articles in newspapers and magazines on eSports, reporting on it both as a subject in its own right and as a cultural and financial phenomenon for investors and entrepreneurs. And who could forget websites such as Twitch that now serve as an invaluable resource for players and spectators alike and really bring together the eSports community?

Apart from showing the world at large what gamers are really like, the increase in popularity has also lead gamers to develop some much more health-conscious habits. Even the least vain player will think about the fact that when he or she is appearing to play in front of thousands of spectators it won’t just be their gaming that is observed but their personal appearance as well. More importantly though it is well understood that the performance of gamers, just like athletes, is enormously affected by their daily habits.

What this means is that diet and sleep are taken very seriously. Coaches will stress the importance of eight hours of sleep each and every night and of developing good sleep hygiene. This means keeping regular sleeping hours and not necessarily gaming into the early hours every night. It means investing in a really good bed from a reputable supplier such as Bedstar, whether that’s splashing out on a king size or just a nice small single bed that provides great support for the back and the neck that are held in a stressful position all day, even with a top of the range chair!

It also means eating enough and eating the right things. The problem of gamers and their daily calorie deficits was noticed a couple of years ago and can still be an issue now. Most people now are aware of the problem of “hanger” (getting angry due to being hungry) but for professional gamers spending hours on end engaged in one activity it can be far worse than a little grouchiness. Concentration levels can drop and drowsiness can set in, which of course results in a poor performance. With the right eating habits these peaks and troughs can be avoided and a constant high level of performance can be maintained.

There’s something truly inspiring about this development in the gaming world, and the fact is that nearly all gamers could take a leaf out of the professionals’ book and start paying more attention to everyday eating and sleeping habits, for both better gaming and better living!