Can “armchair quarterbacks” sustain injuries? You Bet!
Premier Pain Institute staff, with commentary from Dr. Sham Vengurlekar, MD PC
For sports purists, it’s hard to believe that E-Sports participants are actually referred to as “athletes” these days. More accurately, they are “gamers;” and, they generally lead extremely sedentary lifestyles. If there is an antithesis of an athlete, a gamer is usually it…unless we want to count the development of really, really, really small motor skills!
In a world where everyone wants “instant, total gratification,” it’s hardly surprising that many people prefer pretending to play sports on a gaming console to actually playing sports. After all, real sports require hard work and dedication; and they are often played in weather that is overly hot or cold.
E-Sports, on the other hand, are always fun. And, if we become good enough at them, we can even make money playing them. Ask Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, who recently teamed with real estate investor John Goff to buy majority state in Complexity Gaming.
“Unfortunately for gamers, sitting in the same position for extended periods of time — particularly in a chair or couch with poor lumbar support — can lead to chronic pain,” says Dr. Sham Vengurlekar, MD PC (“Dr. Vengurlekar”), founder of Premier Pain Institute. “Our bodies were designed to MOVE.”
We always feel sorry for those who are immobilized through no fault of their own (those born with birth defects, car accident victims, etc.). So, should we feel any sympathy for the self-appointed arm-chair quarterbacks of the world?
Well…actually, Dr. Vengurlekar thinks we should. Here’s why…
If someone bungee jumps off a bridge and sprains their ankle, no one is playing the sympathy violin too loudly. After all, he or she “should know better.” Right?
However, very few of us think about the damage that doing *nothing* causes. Nothing sounds pretty innocuous right? How can we possibly hurt ourselves doing nothing? We might not do ourselves any good. But harm? That doesn’t really cross our minds.
If too much of a good thing is bad, then it should stand to reason that too much time sitting on our buttocks can qualify as too much of a good thing. After all, Apple watches have programs that remind us to stand up for a reason!
“Movement keeps the relationships between bones, joints, tendons and ligaments fluid,” says Dr. Vengurlekar. “Sedentary lifestyles, on the other hand, do the opposite.”
If we keep experiencing the same “cricks” and “spasms” every time we have a marathon game of Madden or decide to binge watch Game of Thrones, there’s a reason for that according to Dr. Vengurlekar We need to change positions frequently or better yet…we need to take a walk…or maybe even play a “real” sport.
In short, although the high resolution graphics of video games aimed at fans of sports like NFL, NBA and MLS have almost crossed the line into virtual reality, it’s not “really real.” We are not getting any exercise playing video games; and, we certainly aren’t burning any calories. Even if we must do “double-takes” these days to determine if a football game is real, either way, we aren’t in it! We need to get out and get some exercise. It’s beautiful in Arizona this time of year. We should enjoy it!
