We’re gamers. Gaming is our way of life. Whether it’s League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Heroes of the Storm or StarCraft, we can spend hours glued to mouse and keyboard with that familiar feeling of “just one more game”. And we don’t notice our body telling us “enough!”.
Our hands take the hit. Fingers, wrists and elbows stay tense while we play and they need a break. Not long ago Hai, a pro player on League of Legends team Cloud9, injured his wrist. And it’s not an isolated case: gamers tend to mistreat our bodies. I found this out while coaching a League of Legends team, and I realized the problem goes beyond physical health — it often stands between a player and their full potential. It’s not just about health, it’s about performance.
That’s why I want to remind you how important hand exercises are — simple, essential movements for any regular eSports player. My personal recommendation is the routine proposed by hand surgeon Dr. Levi, which takes no more than 5 minutes a day.
Still think your hands don’t need stretching? These are the three big reasons that convinced me:
- Physical health: the most obvious one. After a couple of days doing the exercises, your hands won’t be wrecked after 8 hours climbing the ladder.
- Better reactions: you’ll play better, I promise. Healthy hands and wrists boost your agility and your ability to respond quickly and precisely.
- Comfort: if you still have doubts, this is the big one for me. After doing the exercises and relaxing my hands I feel far more comfortable — almost like a fresh pair of hands.
In short, hand exercises are something we often forget, and they can improve both a player’s health and their effectiveness in-game, especially during the long, intense sessions typical of tournaments. So if you want to see them work, head to eSportics: find the next eSports competition or set up your own tournament for free and put them into practice right away. You’ll notice the difference!