Can Gaming Chairs Hurt Your Back?
Do Gaming Chairs Encourage Slouching? (Self-Evaluation)
Have you ever noticed that early in the morning you sit straighter, but as the day goes on, your backs will wilt into a curve? So, how can gaming chairs hurt my back compared to standard office chairs?
Sitting too long is terrible for your health in the long term, no matter the chair you sit in! However, abusing your bum with a cheap chair exacerbates the health risks, no matter the chair you sit in.
- Badly made chairs will encourage poor sitting habits. These poor sitting habits will develop into severe muscle strains and back knots.
- More serious issues from using a cheap chair can develop over time, such as sagging spine syndrome or a herniated disk.
Which I can swear by as someone with chronic back pain.
Why Practice Good Sitting posture While Gaming?
Having a healthy posture shows that it evenly balanced the muscles around the spine so they can properly support their body’s weight.
Gains That Happen From Practicing Safe Posture
1) Fewer Headaches: Unhealthy posture causes migraines due to increased tension on the shoulders, back, and neck.
2) Less Back Pain: Poor posture from sitting is basically a precursor for back aches. This is due to increased tension on the neck, shoulders, and spine.
3) Less Stress on Joints: Awkward sitting or standing (like resting on one leg or leaning your weight against a wall) causes tension in the hip and joints.
4) More Energy: When living that sedentary life, the muscles tend to not do much and get lazy. Leading to postural imbalances; sitting up straight helps your body become alert and more focused.
5) Better Breathing: Slouching for extended periods of time compresses your lungs. Sitting up straight will give the lungs room to expand.
6) Healthier Digestion: Slouching your body, compresses your organs, which can affect their overall effectiveness.
7) Counter Acts Atypical Spinal Conditions: Practicing to maintain a healthy posture deters abnormal disorders like “text-phone neck” or “sway back“.
are gaming chairs good for posture?
Most office chairs on the market do not provide ergonomic back support. With so many people sitting in cheap office or gaming chairs, is there data showing any negative ramifications?
According to the American Chiropractic Association, In the U.S. loses 264 million workdays per year because of back pain issues.
In contrast, they specifically designed gaming chairs to provide the support that our backs need. They are great for our circulation, and they are helpful in aligning our spines.
If you sit for long hours and suffer stiffness or pain, a good gaming chair for lower back pain will help straighten your posture and support healthy gaming. (Winning Playing Habits=👍)
Some sitters enjoy high backrests. I should say, however, that high backrests do not always promote better posture. It really depends on the chair, but for the cheaper products it may be best to avoid high backrest all together.
Unless you're trying to look like a boss who leans back in their executive chair.
There is a minor reason to get a chair that has 180° recline. If you need to take a nap, chances are there is a bed or couch in the proximity.
Any Health Risk From Sitting In A Gaming Chair? (For Too Long)
Cheap office chair or cheap gaming chair. It doesn’t matter – here are a few things that will happen when you use an ‘bad’ chair for too long.
5 side effects from not being mindful of your posture
1) Muscle Strain: Sitting for lengthy periods with poor posture places greater stress on muscles and joints. Muscles and joints out of alignment must work harder, leading to chronic pain in the back, shoulders, neck, arms, or legs.
2) Joint Pain: Repetitive Movement Strain–Muscle, which has been over fatigued.
3) Poor Blood Circulation: Sitting with poor posture prevents optimal blood flow. Poor circulation leads to varicose veins, especially in women.
4) Light Headed After Standing Up: Being dizzy or possibly even fainting can also happen upon standing up quickly. Low blood pressure induces this postural hypo-tension.
5) Emotional Disorders: Depression: There have been studies conducted over the years that have found a correlation between negative emotional states and poor sitting posture.
So your basic body language shows a lot when we sit upright, is to be more alert, energetic, and positive.
On the opposite side, when we slouch, we tend towards lethargy, weight gain, and negative thinking.
If your chair has no lumbar support, put a cushion or foam roller behind your back as an alternative.
You should have the room to sit all the way back to use your backrest. If there is a gap between your bottom and the backrest when upon leaning back, your chair is too big for you.
Luckily, we found the most suitable seats for petite sitters if you're currently using a chair that is too big.
Unless you're trying to look like a boss who leans back in their executive chair. There is minor reason to get a chair that has 180° recline. If you need to take a nap, chances are there is a bed or couch in the proximity.
Sitting Tips For Desktop Gaming
The Pursuit Of Perfect Posture In These Sitting Suggestions
1) Disperse your body weight across the seat pad. Keep your feet flat on the ground! Avoid crossing your legs and keep, or propping one foot up.
2) Adjust the height of a chair so that your knees bend at a 90° angle. If you’re shorter than average, it may help to place a footstool at your feet to stop any dangling.
3) Instead of leaning over to rest your elbows` on the desk. Give your shoulders a break and rest your elbows on the armrest of the chair in a somewhat open position (around 110° angle).
4) If your chair has no lumbar support, put a cushion or foam roller behind your back as an alternative.
5) Push the chair as close as needed to your desk and make the proper adjustments until the computer is comfortably at a comfortable viewing angle (eye level).
6) Make sure your arms are comfortably parallel to your keyboard and that it’s at the proper distance from where you are sitting.
7) If using multiple monitors in your desks, make sure they’re properly aligned next to one another and are at equal eye level.
- Your eye level should be with the top of the computer screen (2″-3″ Above Seated Level) and NOT the center of the monitor. Stack books under the monitor if needed.
8) Take micro-breaks are around 30 to 120 seconds twice an hour. If you still feel stressed, try out some stretches explained by experts in the videos below.
Gaming or at your workstation? Remember not to…
- Dip your neck to your chin.
- Round down your shoulders forward.
- Hunch your back forward.
Related Questions
The three reasons this happens:
- The core muscles that support your spine also weaken from a sedentary lifestyle, meaning your back gets little to no lumbar support.
- Sitting in a less than a comfortable chair or one without adjustable lumbar support feature can force you to sit with a slump (unhealthy posture), which unnecessarily pressures your on spine.
- Your vertebrae will get compressed during sitting, thus leading to a weakening of your spinal discs.
Now you know why this happens, why not checkout how to ease sitters fatigue.
Picking a quality office or gaming chair can overwhelm with the amount of choices.
Look out for these features while making your purchase.
- Is comfortable for long sessions of sedentary sitting.
A pneumatic adjustable lever. - The Back Seat-pad contours to the spine to promote a healthy ‘S‘ curve when sitting.
- 3D or 4D armrest preferably, 2D at the very least!
- Contains high quality, durable, breathable padding.
Equipped with built in adjustable lumbar support.
For a more in-debt look into what you need and how much you should spend before looking into purchasing a new office chair, check out our guide.
Yes, If the gaming chair has economic features like seat-tilt and adjustable lumbar support. Well-designed gaming chairs can be used for lengthy periods of time with barely any sitters' fatigue.
- If your curry chair is lacking, we rounded up the best gaming chairs suitable for studying if you need the best of both situations.
SOURCE
A, A C. “Patients.” American Chiropractic Association > Home, www.acatoday.org/Patients/Health-Wellness-Information/Back-Pain-Facts-and-statistics.
SpineOne. “Text Neck Pain – Symptoms & Treatments – SpineOne.” Spine One | Denver Spine Pain Specialists, 13 Dec. 2019, www.spineone.com/surprising-truth-text-neck/
Hitti, Miranda. “Types of Spine Curvature Disorders.” WebMD, WebMD, 30 Aug. 2010, www.webmd.com/back-pain/guide/types-of-spine-curvature-disorders#1.
Jensen M, Brant-Zawadzki M, Obuchowski N, et al. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Lumbar Spine in People Without Back Pain. N Engl J Med 1994; 331: 69-116.
Harrison, Dr Levi. “How To Eliminate Lower Back Pain While Gaming | Specific Exercises.” YouTube, YouTube, 1 Apr. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYq02sDWGUQ.
Clinic, Mayo. “9 Tips for a Healthy Ergonomic Workstation – Mayo Clinic.” YouTube, YouTube, 26 Sept. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=K88q_oEwRS8.
Health, Upright. “What Is Good Posture? What Does Good Posture Look like?” YouTube, YouTube, 12 Nov. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6E-m0CgG1E.
Brad, Bob &. “How to Sit Properly to Decrease Back and Neck Pain. Posture Perfect.” YouTube, YouTube, 18 Feb. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx0c6JGTrUQ.
TED-Ed. “The Benefits of Good Posture – Murat Dalkilinç.” YouTube, YouTube, 30 July 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyK0oE5rwFY.
Claude
ChairPickr | "Writer"
Hello, My name is Claude and I enjoy sitting comfortable. Research into what separates the good from the bad in the matter of chairs started when I made a new year’s resolution to have better posture.
You clicked here to find that first-rate chair. Why not stay and learn some self care?