Welcome to The Healthy Gamer Series
This is the first episode of a new series, where we focus on healthy lifestyle habits that can make you a better gamer. The goal is to offer valuable information and practical tips that are easy to follow and to demonstrate the positive influence these habits can have on your gaming performance.
New Ways to Think Health and Esports Performance
In recent years, we have started to see professional players and organizations approach health in new ways. More and more players are following structured health routines to optimize their performance. They warm up to prevent injuries and work out to stay fresh and focused.
They’ve simply become more aware of the positive impact that quality sleep, nutritious food, and regular exercise can have on performance.
Astralis was one of the first esports organizations to implement performance models and started to treat their players as real athletes. I’m sure this approach was a big reason behind their huge Cunter-Strike success where they won four Major titles in three years.
Mental health is also important
Mental well-being is another crucial factor, in addition to the physical aspects of health. Players have to be mentally balanced to better handle stressful situations and make good decisions under pressure. Various mindset techniques and tools are available to help achieve a stable yet flexible mental mind. It’s important to have a flexible mind in gaming since you have to adapt to always changing circumstances.
In 2018 Astralis hired the Finnish sports psychologist Mia Stellberg. She was one of the first sports psychologists who were implemented in pro teams. Since then, most top teams in the world have worked with sports psychologists to fix some of the mental challenges these players experience in this highly competitive arena.
More Scientific Evidence is Coming
The scientific literature is also getting interested in the connection between health, gaming, and performance. More evidence is coming out backing up these performance models top teams are using. Research work towards clinical practice guidelines for esports athletes that can help understand what health factors influence performance and how they can prevent injuries.
There is still plenty of potential for growth, and I am confident that in the future, esports organizations and players will increasingly recognize the power of healthy habits that can bring positive benefits to performance. They will start to see it as a tool that can give them a competitive edge over their opponents.
Final Thoughts
If your dream is to have a long career as a professional esports athlete, then you strongly need to consider implementing healthy habits to sustain your performance and ensure that you can continue playing for many years to come.
Hopefully, this series will inspire and motivate you to make more healthy choices in your everyday life. In episode 2 of Healthy Gamer, we’ll take a look at how physical activity is a wonderful tool for boosting your energy and focus to the next level.
