Gaming-related health problems are real. 6 tips to help prevent them

In video games, all players usually need to do to stay healthy is drink the occasional healing potion or perhaps grab a floating heart. Avoiding zombies and killer aliens helps, too.

In real life, maintaining health while gaming is trickier. Luckily, it does not take a secret hack to stay well while playing, experts say – and some of their advice might even help you level up your game.

Some aspects of gaming can even be good for you, says Dr Joanne Donoghue, director of clinical research at the New York Institute of Technology’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, who has led several studies on professional gamers’ health.

Some action video games have been shown to improve reaction time and may help with multitasking, she says.

Dr Jason Nagata, an associate professor of paediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, has studied the effects of screen time, including video games, on children and adolescents. He says digital media is “not inherently good or bad. There are some risks, but also some benefits.”