The esports industry is one where all of its players spend over 14 hours in front of a screen. Whilst they don’t really use their physicality as much as traditional athletes, there is a misconception that physical health isn't as important for esports players. However, in the current era where it grows more competitive and professional each year, esports players are subjected to a higher degree of training, pressure, discipline, and more. Hence, the importance of physical health is becoming more relevant every passing day.
Chess has often been compared to esports because of its similarities. Both don’t require physical exertion and the skill differences between players are largely based upon mental abilities.
So the importance of physical training for chess players can be comparable to it for esports players. A report by ESPN showcased the extreme physical regimes that the top Chess grandmasters undergo to be on top of their game. Fabiano Caruana, one of the world’s top grandmasters revealed that his daily routines consists of a 5-mile run, an hour of tennis, half an hour of basketball, and at least an hour of swimming.
Chess world champion, Magnus Carlsen spends a lot of his time working out before tournaments and when not in the midst of competition, he would play soccer or go skiing. Aside from focused exercises, these mind game masters also carry out physical activities in the smallest form such as tapping their feet or chewing gum, all for the sake of a better mental performance. This showcases the significance of physical form and how it is paramount to prepare the brain for mental challenges.
AFK Gaming reached out to Dr. Lindsey "GamerDoc" Migliore, a medical doctor and a gamer, to talk about the importance of physical health and ways to achieve a healthier state. According to her, many players retire in their early twenties from various causes such as a high work-load, better opportunities, physical injuries, and much more. This could be prevented with an emphasis on health, and while one would weigh whether a healthy body or mind is more important, GamerDoc highlighted that “physical and mental health are one and the same, and should be focused on equally.”
The body is very closely connected to the brain, so whatever happens to the body would also be implicated to the mind. There are numerous benefits of a healthy physical lifestyle, or exercising in general, but what exactly are we looking at with regards to esports players?
