Complete Gamer's Guide to Staying Healthy

I love being a gamer. If you are like me, you know that your free time is best spent in front of your TV playing your favorite game. Unfortunately, too much of a good thing can be bad. You know what I am talking about; we have all heard it. Lazy, recluse and couch potato are some of the many labels that get associated with gamers. The good news is that you don't have to give up gaming in exchange for healthy living. Here are some tips to help you get the best of both worlds.

Set a Time Limit

Knowing when to stop is the hardest thing a gamer can do. I know all too well that hours of gameplay seem like mere minutes. Unfortunately, long periods of sedentary activities can lead to weight gain and loss of motivation to do other physical activities. The most important step to being a gamer and still promoting a healthy lifestyle is limiting the amount of time that you play. Limit yourself to a certain number of hours each day or week - your choice.

Tip - An easy way to keep track of your time is by using a roll of quarters (less or more if you want) and a jar. Each quarter can represent 15 minutes. Every time you play for 15 minutes, place a quarter in the jar. Once you are out of quarters, you are done playing for the week.

Eat Healthy Snacks

There is nothing better than chillin' in front of your TV with a bowl of Cheetos (or some other junk food) while playing your favorite video game. In a perfect world, this would be any gamer's dream. Unfortunately, in this reality, it's simply a quick way to add a few inches to your waistline. Fortunately, you don't have to give up snacking while gaming altogether. Instead of high calorie potato chips and soda, settle for a bowl carrot sticks and a glass of ice water (add a packet of zero calorie flavoring if you want).

Reward Exercise with Gameplay

Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. The problem is that very few people are motivated to do it. An easy way to unlock your inner Richard Simmons (no, you don't have to wear the glittery tank top) is to reward your exercise with gameplay. For example, exercising for one hour can earn you an equal amount of gameplay. For a die hard gamer, it's easy to find the motivation to exercise if you know you won't earn any game time if you don't.

Play an Exercise Game

Of course, the easiest way to stay in shape is to get on the current "gamercize" band wagon. With the introduction of the Wii Fit and other games that promote physical activity, gamers can now play and exercise at the same time.

Tip - If you don't have an exercise game for your console, try one like Guitar Hero that helps keep you on your feet while you are playing.

Make Good Use of Downtime

Think about it. How much downtime do we have during a gaming session. We spend a good portion of each hour waiting for our mission to load, downloading online content, or sitting during an intermission waiting for our next online game round to start. Make good use of this time by doing some chores around the house. Yeah, you heard me right. Put away a few of your child's toys, load the dishwasher, change a light bulb. Not only will this let you get up and move a round a little, but you will get stuff done that you won't have to worry about later.