What Is the Benefit of a Gaming Chair: Reasons You Should Buy One
A desk-bound lifestyle has become the norm for most people nowadays due to the pandemic and its restrictions.
Children and adults use a suitable computer setup for work, study, and leisure activities throughout the day.
However, we are all aware that sitting for extended periods does more harm than good to our bodies.
Hence, there are many reasons for the need to upgrade to a good gaming chair.
What is the benefit of a gaming chair? Can’t we just use a standard office chair? Let’s find out together.
Ergonomic Features of a Gaming Chair
Regular office chairs have fixed armrests and backrests, forcing the person into an immobile sitting position.
Whereas a gaming chair offers ergonomic features, allowing movement while sitting as it supports healthy posture.
Check out these gaming chair features and how your body can benefit from each one.
High-Padded Backrest
The high-padded backrest on a gaming chair provides full back and shoulder support as you sit for long hours.
It is designed to relieve your upper body’s muscles for good posture and healthy spine alignment.
You can easily benefit from the high-padded design of the backrest by making the necessary adjustments according to your comfort.
The right gaming chair configuration helps improve your overall wellness while increasing your productivity.
ALSO READ: Is a Gaming Chair Worth It?
Winged Shoulder Support
Some gaming chairs adapted their design from race car seats, especially the winged shoulder support, keeping you seated snugly.
However, this design will not suit broad-shouldered individuals.
Thus, models with a more open style on the upper part where your shoulders are positioned.
Some people also say that this adapted design is more for aesthetic purposes than functionality when used for gaming chairs.
Backrest Recline Lever
The recline lever on the chair allows you to adjust the backrest to your desired angle, whether working, gaming or resting.
This feature promotes body movements even while sitting by moving the backrest a few degrees backward or forward.
Heavy-Duty Base
Most gaming chairs come with a heavy-duty base made from premium quality materials to accommodate the varying weights of users.
They also have a 360-degree swivel mechanism, allowing you to move with ease while sitting without straining your muscles.
Neck Support Pillow
All gaming chairs come with adjustable and detachable neck pillows, supporting your neck as you recline the backrest for comfort.
This headrest must be placed in a position cradling your neck without stress or tension to prevent pain and tightness.
Lumbar Support Pillow
The lumbar support pillow that usually comes with a gaming chair braces your lower back as you fit it perfectly along its curve.
It is designed to support the small of your back as it helps relieve pressure and strain while strengthening and healing your back muscles.
In addition, the entire backrest supports the rest of your back while comfortably sitting as you complete your tasks.
Adjustable Armrests
These adjustable armrests on your gaming chairs provide extra relief on your spine since they absorb your arms’ weight.
They also prevent additional pressure on your arms and shoulders by supporting your weight taking off the tension from your muscles.
Padded Seat
The seats on most gaming chairs come with thick padding, usually made of cold foam material, offering resilient support.
It effectively accommodates your body weight as you sit on it, returns to its usual shape as you stand up, and supports your buttocks and legs.
Ergonomic Chair Types
The global pandemic disrupted the economy, closing down many offices to abide by the social distancing protocols.
Most office workers are now working from home, causing the office chair industry to decline.
On the other hand, the demand for an ergonomic variety increases.
We can now categorize ergonomic chairs into three varieties: gaming, ergonomic task, and office chairs.
Ergonomic Task Chairs
Overall, the ergonomic task chair can adapt to all kinds of desk-bound works way before the emergence of computers in the workplace.
This ergonomic chair type comes in two styles: the traditional or the synchro-tilt varieties.
The first one has fixed seats, whereas the other angles up when reclined.
Ergonomic Office Chairs
The office chair industry began its downward trend in 2018.
At the same time, manufacturers released traditional models with ergonomic features.
They include lumbar support and adjustable armrests, but it’s rare to find a model with a reclining backrest.
Gaming Chairs
Gaming chairs simplified the complex design of the more sophisticated task chairs to conform to the modern ergonomic requirements of the industry.
Their primary functionalities are the padded backrest and reclining action.
As an added feature, these chairs also come with a headrest and adjustable lumbar pillow.
What Is the Benefit of a Gaming Chair?
Gaming chairs have an ergonomic design that offers more comfort to the user as they are equipped with adjustable features.
You will get numerous benefits from a gaming chair in addition to the comfort it offers.
RELATED: What Gaming Chair Does Ninja Use? (Guide)
1. Effective Posture Support
The racing-style design of a gaming chair has backrest cushions, a high back, and a padded bucket seat.
It has fully adjustable cushions or pillows to support the natural curves of your spine and prevent back pains.
The Vartan Gaming Chair is one such example of an affordable starter-option that offers adjustable cushions.
Additionally, the adjustable armrests help alleviate any pressure on your back since these parts take in the arms’ weight.
Make necessary adjustments on the gaming chair and the pillows so that your body is suitably aligned for desk tasks.
2. Mobility While Sitting
Researchers believed that the body has to move. The gaming chair’s swiveling seat pan promotes flexibility and spine expansion.
Keeping the muscles active through small movements help boost circulation, keep your mind engaged, and strengthen your core muscles.
3. Posture Restoration
Hunching can change the normal curve of the spine, increasing the strain on the muscles around it.
This position tightens the chest and weakens the muscles in your upper back, making it hard to sit up straight.
In contrast, sitting on a gaming chair helps expand your tight muscles, reducing tension on your neck and shoulders.
Good posture reduces lower back pain and helps increase your lung capacity, providing you with a higher energy level.
4. Consistent Comfort
To experience consistent comfort even for long periods, make sure to configure the gaming chair according to your preferences.
The thick padding on the seat and backrest provides tough and flexible support, allowing you to sit on the chair longer without losing its original shape.
Settling into a gaming chair does not mean that you will not feel any discomfort.
However, you can now adjust the backrest and armrests, swivel, or rock the seat to initiate movement if that happens.
5. Preventing Muscular Strain
Incorrect posture can slow down circulation since it strains your back muscles while compressing your ribcage.
It can drain your energy and decrease your oxygen level, making it difficult to breathe deeply, causing fatigue.
Once you get used to sitting in a neutral position, all your health concerns will fade away, allowing you to breathe deeply to increase your oxygen level.
6. Improved Concentration and Productivity
A person’s posture can make a significant impact on his mood and brain function.
For example, slouching increases stress hormones, while good posture can improve testosterone levels.
Gaming chairs offer comfortable support to a person’s overall posture, making the user more energetic, alert, and focused.
7. Value for Money Durability
Most people would say that gaming chairs are expensive; thus, many people have to think twice before buying one.
Nevertheless, checking the gaming chair’s components and overall construction, you will realize its durability will last for years.
All materials used for its creation are of premium quality to ensure the chair’s ability to withstand daily wear and tear.
8. Looks Aesthetically Good
Although it’s superficial, having a good-looking gaming chair not only adds to your confidence but the overall look of your setup.
The positive feeling and confidence you have for your gaming chair will radiate in your overall performance.
9. Improved Blood Circulation
You tend to slouch when sitting on an ordinary office chair, straining your back muscles, disrupting proper blood circulation.
When this happens, you will feel tired and uncomfortable because your body is not receiving the required blood flow.
Using a good gaming chair ensures that you can make small movements that initiate circulation throughout your body.
10. Supports Overall Health
From the start, we have been mentioning that a gaming chair is better than an office chair when maintaining a healthy posture.
This well-designed chair prevents the usual health issues most people experience when sitting on an uncomfortable seat.
Gaming chairs come with ergonomic features that will help you sit in comfort even for long periods without fear of straining your muscles.
You can breathe easy when you observe good sitting posture using a well-designed gaming chair due to improved blood flow in your body.
Healthy Sitting Principles
A human body is not designed to sit all day, especially on chairs that provide enough support.
It causes the lumbar curve to flatten, causing misalignment in your body.
One of the best ways to prevent this is by using a lumbar support.
Let’s discuss three sitting principles that can help with good posture.
Neutral Sitting Posture
A neutral sitting position is considered the healthiest option involving the following steps:
- Feet Flat on the Floor
Placing your feet flat on the floor helps support your upper body.
If your feet are in any other position, your spine carries the burden of your body weight.
- Knees Above Hips
Ensure that your hips are positioned slightly higher than your knees by configuring the chair’s seat to prevent pressure on your ankles, hips, and knees.
- Tuck Hips To the Seat
Sit deeply into the seat as far back as possible to utilize the back support of the gaming chair.
- Use Lumbar Support
The lumbar is a vital point of support. Put a little pressure on a person’s lower back, and the upper part will straighten automatically.
- Straight Back
Sitting with a straight back becomes easier by combining the support provided by the lumbar and planted feet.
Also, you can look straight into the monitor as you balance the head on top of your shoulders.
The lumbar pillow support and the reclining backrest of a gaming chair are vital requirements to support neutral postures.
Lumbar Support Is Crucial
Sitting with an unsupported lumbar reduces its natural curve, causing pressure and pain on the lower back.
Hence, the need for lumbar support in ergonomic gaming chairs to maintain good posture and prevent backaches at the same time.
Dynamic Neutral Posture
Effective lumbar support may help, but it’s not enough. You also need to move once in a while by trying to make small changes in your position.
Dynamic or active sitting involves the muscles around different parts of your body like the abdominals, legs, and spine.
Final Thoughts
What is the benefit of a gaming chair? First, it comes with ergonomic features that match the user’s needs.
These features allow you to make small movements even while sitting.
In addition, with good posture comes improved blood circulation allowing you to breathe deeply with ease.
Finally, each small movement keeps your muscles active and strong, reducing aches and other health issues.
