Esports Healthcare: Gamer Warm-up
Whether you’re playing casually, for your live stream, or for competition, the Gamer Warm-up prepares you for your gaming sessions.
The importance of a solid gamer warm-up
Performing a warm-up is important prior to any physical activity, and gaming is no different!
A good warm-up will make you feel loose and ready to play. A great warm-up will elevate your game play by mirroring the movements of your performance.
The Esports Healthcare: Gamer Warm-up is a comprehensive, dynamic movement routine that targets all the muscles and joints involved in gaming—both PC and console—that will help take your skills to the next level.
Additionally, the Gamer Warm-up includes three exercises to warm-up the muscles of your eyes to keep you vigilant.
Muscles and joints of the fingers, hands, wrists, and forearms
Opposition finger-tap with flexed fingers + full hand extension
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Begin with your hand open and fingers fully extended
- Tap the tip of your index finger to the tip of your thumb, forming a circle with these fingers. Then, return to the starting position with your hand open and fingers fully extended.
- Repeat step 2 with your middle finger, ring finger, and pinky finger one at a time.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 for a total of two (2) sets.
Opposition finger-tap with straight fingers + full hand extension
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Begin with your hand open and fingers fully extended
- Tap the pad of your index finger to the pad of your thumb, keeping both fingers straight. Then, return to the starting position with your hand open and fingers fully extended.
- Repeat step 2 with your middle finger, ring finger, and pinky finger one at a time.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 for a total of two (2) sets.
Finger abduction
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Begin with your hand open, fingers extended, and pressed together, side-by-side.
- Keeping your hand open and fingers extended, slowly abduct (separate) your fingers as wide as you can.
- Keeping your hand open and fingers extended, slowly adduct your fingers back to the starting position.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 for a total of five (5) repetitions.
Palms together, finger separation
- Begin with your palms and fingers pressed together.
- Separate your thumbs as far apart as you can without separating your palms or your other fingers. Then, bring your thumbs back together.
- Repeat step 2 with your index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and pinky finger one at a time.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 for a total of two (2) sets.
Fingers together, single finger circles
- Begin with your palms facing each other and fingertips together. Keep your fingers rounded as if you were holding a ball.
- Separate your thumbs without separating the other four fingers. Circle your thumb tips around each other forward for three seconds and backwards for three seconds. Try to keep your fingers rounded as if you were holding a ball.
- Repeat step 2 with your index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and pinky finger one at a time.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 for any fingers that feel less coordinated.
Carpal squeeze with wide palm extension
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Begin with your hand open and fingers fully extended
- Keeping your fingers extended, squeeze the base of your hand together.
- Then, open your hand back to the starting position.
- Repeat step 2 for a total of five (5) repetitions.
Forearm pronation & supination
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Begin with your elbow bent 90 degrees and your palm facing upward.
- Turn your hand downward as far as you can.
- Then, turn your hand back upward as far as you can.
- Repeat step 2 for a total of five (5) repetitions.
Wrist flexion & extension
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Begin with your palm facing upward, your hand open, and your fingers extended
- Keeping your hand open and fingers extended through the entire movement, bend your wrist upward, toward the palm side of your forearm as far as you can.
- Then, bend your wrist downward, toward the knuckle side of your forearm as far as you can.
- Repeat step 2 for a total of five (5) repetitions.
Radial & ulnar deviation
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Begin with your palm facing upward, your hand open, and your fingers extended
- Keeping your hand open and fingers extended through the entire movement, bend your wrist to the pinky side of your forearm as far as you can.
- Then, bend your wrist to the thumb side of your forearm as far as you can.
- Repeat step 2 for a total of five (5) repetitions.
Wrist circumduction
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Begin with your palm facing upward, your hand open, and your fingers extended.
- Keeping your hand open and fingers extended through the entire movement, roll your wrists in a clockwise direction three (3) times.
- Repeat step 2 in a counter-clockwise direction three (3) times.
Muscles of the eyes
Near-to-far focus
- Hold an object (for example, a pencil or your thumb) in front of your nose, approximately 12 inches away from your face.
- Hold the object in front of a background target at least 10 feet away (for example, the wall of your room or any object outside your window).
- First, focus your eyes on the object (the pencil eraser or your thumb nail). Then, focus your eyes on the background target.
- Repeat step 3 for a total of ten (10) repetitions.
Smooth pursuit
- Hold an object (for example, a pencil or your thumb) in front of your nose, approximately 12 inches away from your face.
- Without moving your head, slowly move the object back and forth, up and down, or diagonally.
- Move the object in H-pattern and/or an X-pattern, moving it as far as your eyes can gaze without the need to move your head. Try to reach all four corners of your gaze.
Target gaze
- Choose any focal point directly in front of your face; for example, a point on your computer screen.
- Without moving your head, look directly upward as far as you can, as if you were looking at 12 on a clock. Then, return your gaze to the starting point in front of you. Repeat this gaze pattern for each of the remaining 11 numbered positions on a clock in a clockwise pattern.
- Repeat step two in a counter-clockwise pattern, beginning again with 12 o’clock.
Follow us!
For more updates on injuries, ailments, and other health & wellness advice, follow us on Twitter & Facebook!
We’re also on Twitch! Give us a follow and catch up with our live streams discussing all topics in health & wellness both in and out of gaming.
Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. Esports Healthcare disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.
The information contained on this website does not establish, nor does it imply, doctor-patient relationship. Esports Healthcare does not offer this information for diagnostic purposes. A diagnosis must not be assumed based on the information provided.