Tips On How To Avoid ‘Xbox Vision’, ‘Nintendonitis’, And Other Gaming-Related Discomforts

We were watching a rerun of Hollywood Squares (only because the guest celebrities were former child stars-turned-media curiosities: Leif Garret, Danny Bonaducci, Todd Bridges, Erin Moran, and so on)with David Spade on the center square. Anyway the host, Tom Bergeron, had a question for David. Something like a “recent study showed children who played too much video game grow up having poorly developed hand and arm muscles to do what?” David Spade being David Spade made the usual double entendre smart ass jokes eliciting obligatory snickers from the celebrity curiosities around him. (Spade after all hired them as extras in his movie Dicky Roberts: Former Child Star). To make a long introduction short (or is it too late for that?) the answer was… “kids who played too much video games grow up with poorly developed muscles necessary for handwriting.”

Not exactly Jack Thompson material, but it got us thinking. Everybody’s been too busy debating the effects of sexy and violent video games on our brains, we forgot too much gameplay time affects our bodies, too. How much is too much? We couldn’t find an exact figure but experts say between 20 to 40 hours gameplay a week (about 3 to 6 hours a day) is probably overdoing it. Sounds like you? The price for too much fun can be potentially devastating. Find out how you can keep the doctor away by reading the full article.

We were watching a rerun of Hollywood Squares (only because the guest celebrities were former child stars-turned-media curiosities: Leif Garret, Danny Bonaducci, Todd Bridges, Erin Moran, and so on)with David Spade on the center square. Anyway the host, Tom Bergeron, had a question for David. Something like a “recent study showed children who played too much video game grow up having poorly developed hand and arm muscles to do what?” David Spade being David Spade made the usual double entendre smart ass jokes eliciting obligatory snickers from the celebrity curiosities around him. (Spade after all hired them as extras in his movie Dicky Roberts: Former Child Star). To make a long introduction short (or is it too late for that?) the answer was… “kids who played too much video games grow up with poorly developed muscles necessary for handwriting.”

Not exactly Jack Thompson material, but it got us thinking. Everybody’s been too busy debating the effects of sexy and violent video games on our brains, we forgot too much gameplay time affects our bodies, too. How much is too much? We couldn’t find an exact figure but experts say between 20 to 40 hours gameplay a week (about 3 to 6 hours a day) is probably overdoing it. Sounds like you? The price for too much fun can be potentially devastating. Find out how you can keep the doctor away.

“Xbox Vision”
Staring at the PC monitor or TV screen for hours can cause blurred vision, eye irritation, dry eyes, pain in the eyes (or surrounding muscles), excessive blinking, squinting, difficulty focusing and increased sensitivity to light. The stress on your visual system doesn’t stay on your balls (eyeballs, we mean). It causes headache, body fatigue, reduced efficiency at work (or school) and, don’t look now, possible increased risk for glaucoma.

The cure for “Xbox Eyes” is simple. Cut down on your gameplay hours (but you already knew that). If you can’t take your eyes off your favorite game even if it blinded you, you can reduce (not totally eliminate) the strain by using anti-glare screens. You can also wear computer glasses with stress-relieving lenses. When playing, sit directly facing the screen, not at an angle, to stimulate both eyes equally. Sit 6 to 10 feet away from the TV screen. Take your eyes off the screen every 15-20 minutes and focus on other objects around you.

“Nintendenitis”
Too much use of hand-held controllers and joysticks can cause repetitive-motion hand and arm injuries. When you start experiencing swollen muscles and tendons, it’s time to cut back. They may not bother you that much now but they could lead to more serious conditions like tendonitis, bursitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Your PSP or Nintendo DS are not exactly healthy alternatives to your Xbox, Xbox 360 and PS because these consoles involve intense gripping, repetitive punching motions on small buttons and sharp wrist movements.

Experts suggest a brief warm up period before you turn on your consoles. During game play practice good posture and use chairs that provide solid back support and allow the feet to rest comfortably on the floor. When using hand-held systems, put pillows on your lap to support your arms. This also helps keep your head in a more upright position reducing neck strain.

You can protect yourself against injury by taking breaks every 30 minutes or every hour. Don’t confuse this with your bathroom or snack break. You’re supposed to perform the following finger, hand and arm stretching exercises (for at least 10 seconds each):

• Place your hand just above the back of the elbow and gently pull your elbow across your chest toward the opposite shoulder. Do this for both arms.
• Raise one arm overhead and bend your elbow behind your head. Place your other hand on the bent elbow and gently push the elbow down. Do this for both arms.
• Extend an arm in front of you, elbow completely straight, your palm facing down. Use your other hand to bend that hand down. Do this for both hands.
• Open up your hands and spread your fingers are far as possible.

We know its hard to stop when the gaming gets exciting. But like milk, these precautions will do your body a lot of good.