I have finally had time to sit down and start writing this manual! During baby copilot's recent naps the introduction has come together, and I would like to share that publicly. Additional sections will be posted for supporting members to read, but I feel the rationale for what I'm doing should be made public.
Introduction
COVID-19 changed everything. I wouldn’t have even thought to write this guide without it. For many people, myself included, being shut-in while waiting for life to settle down meant more time at my desk and later nights clicking heads while on voice chat with friends I couldn’t see in person. The playing of video games skyrocketed in the US, with a 46% increase in time spent gaming between 23 March and 3 June and hours watched on Twitch leaping from 13 to 31 million in the first quarter of 2020. With more players actively participating in the space and seeking to find their niche in the world of content creation, streaming, and competing that surrounds gaming there is an increased need to educate on proper posture and mechanics to ensure these gamers don’t develop long-lasting bad habits or succumb to overuse injuries.
In the following pages you will find descriptions of anatomical regions gamers and creators need to be aware of when spending hours behind the keyboard or controller. Each section includes descriptions of exercises (and links to instructional videos for those exercises) intended to develop resilience to injury and strengthen movement mechanics. After those descriptions you will find an explanation of daily routines utilizing these exercises which can be performed as part of other regular training, your pre-game warm-up routine, or during your morning wake up. The objective is to give you the gamer the tools necessary to maintain your health and wellness during these long hours of play.
Why should what I say matter to you? I guess I’m not just introducing the manual right now, but also myself. My name is Garrett Perrella, but in this area I go by SuperHeavyWings. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in physical education, a Master’s degree in high performance coaching, am a National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and hold my USA Weightlifting sport performance coach certification. In 2014 I entered the field of human performance full-time and have worked in the weight room and on the field with collegiate athletes, first responders, soldiers, youth athletes, individuals returning to action post-physical therapy/surgery/chemotherapy, Parkinson’s disease patients, and the general population. My experiences have granted me great insight into the needs of the human body and exposed me to a variety of training methodologies which can be leveraged to achieve results.