How to Sit in a Gaming Chair

Long hours playing your new favorite game might sound like paradise, but we all know how important a comfortable chair is and how expensive a good one can be. The fact is that your body posture is equally as important, so we will have a quick look at how to sit in a gaming chair so that you will not have back pains even after many hours of using it.

Do not be reluctant to tweak your chair. Most of them need to be put together after you purchase them, and they need to be correctly adjusted for your body. You need to adjust the chair height, the seat, the armrests, and the backrest. Lastly, we need to consider the desk and screen positions.

How to sit in a gaming chair – The correct seat height

Since there is no standard seat height, we need to figure out what is best depending on your body dimensions. Sit on the chair with your feet flat on the floor. The upper and lower parts of your legs need to be at a 90-degree angle at the knee. If you are not comfortable, you can adjust this angle to be slightly larger, but make sure your knees are situated a bit lower than your hips.

Make sure your feet are always flat to the floor, and the knee angle may be larger than 90 degrees, but never less than that. Similarly, your thighs and your upper body should be at an angle of a minimum of 90 degrees when you sit on the chair. If these standards are not respected, you will suffer from muscle tension, which causes pains and backaches due to unnecessary strains put on your muscles.

Adjusting the tilt

Most, if not all, gaming chairs have a seat tilt adjustment. It should be orientated slightly forward for best results – this means your pelvis will be slightly forward which will protect your spine and release the unnecessary tension on it.

Adjusting the seat depth

The correct sitting posture is one which allows free circulation of blood in your legs. The seat depth is measured as the length of the sitting area from its edge to the backrest. When you are sitting on your chair, the edge of the seat should be between 2-4 fingers width away from your knee, while the back needs to be in direct contact with the backrest.

Adjusting the backrest

Another important adjustment is to the lumbar cushion, which will support your spine and prevent back pains. Adjust the tilt as previously discussed and make sure it is tilting slightly forward. This will make the lumbar cushion slightly push against your lower back – this pressure is normal and necessary for a correct position in your gaming chair. The correct adjustment of the backrest will also make your head be slightly farther forward compared to your pelvis.

It is crucial that, when you sit in a chair, your spine is completely supported, and it should simulate the position of the spine when you stand up. For this reason, you need to ensure that your back is in permanent contact with the backrest. A good gaming chair will have a comfortable backrest – or, in other words, it should follow the natural shape of the spine. A good gaming chair will include the lumbar cushion which is slightly uncomfortable in the beginning since it will put some pressure on you. No need to worry about it, though, you will get used to it in no time!

Use the neck support from time to time

If your chair has a neck support, this might seem quite useless, since you will not touch it when you sit upright. However, make sure you benefit from it if your gaming chair has one. Whenever you can, take a little break to relax and place your head on the headrest. This will help you to relax your tendons and muscles, avoiding neck pains in the process.

How to sit in a gaming chair – Adjusting the armrests

Armrests are extremely important because when they are correctly adjusted they will release your shoulders, upper back, and neck from the weight of your arms and reduce the pressure. In order to adjust them correctly, make sure the forearms are relaxed while the shoulders are comfortable – neither up or pressed down. Your forearm and the lower arm should be at a 90-degree angle, while the armrests and the desk should be on the same level.

If your armrests have sideways adjustment, you can use this to make sure your arms are not pressed hard against your torso or are pushed too far outwards. You can adjust them to have a natural position, sitting at the same line with your shoulders so they rest naturally – neither too far apart nor too pressed together.

Other tips and tricks for gamers

• Invest in a high-quality gaming chair that has lumbar support, an adjustable backrest, backrest tilt, seat depth, and armrests (height and width)
• The screen should be at the same length as that of your arms
• Place keyboard and mouse one hand away from the edge of your desk

Summary – How to Sit in a Gaming Chair

Overall, it is important to know how to sit in a gaming chair and to adjust your gaming chair so it fits your body’s dimensions and prevents back pain, a strained back, and even long-term health issues. It is important to get up from time to time, stretch your body, and move around as often as possible.

Specialists suggest to get up and walk around every half an hour, which will help blood circulation in your body. Therefore, this is very important, although it is quite easy to forget when you are captivated by your game. If this is the case, you can set a timer to remind you to get up every half hour and walk for a couple of minutes. This will help you in the long-term to avoid health issues that are linked with extended sitting periods.

If you usually play more than three hours, you should also consider taking one longer break of half an hour in between sessions. This will help your blood flow easier and counteract the negative impacts of extended sitting. Now you know how to sit in a gaming chair – use this information wisely.