Xbox - The Official Magazine - UK (2019-08)

05

TAKE BREAKS

We know, we know... when you’re deep in the zone you just

don’t want to stop, especially if you’re playing with friends.

But regular short breaks are really good for you, especially

if you’re able to fit in a quick walk outside, a couple of

push-ups or crunches, or even just a good stretch. Any kind

of movement will help to improve your blood flow, prevent

aches and pains and keep you limber.

03

DRINK WATER

Staying properly hydrated makes a huge difference to both

your physical health and your state of mind. Make sure

you’ve always got plenty of water on hand, and don’t have

too many sugary drinks – they’re far worse for you than

you might realise. Make sure you’re not forgetting to drink,

especially during long multiplayer sessions, and keep in mind

the NHS recommends six to eight glasses of water a day.

06

REST YOUR EYES

Staring at a screen for hours isn’t great for your eyes –

especially combined with staring at your monitor at work

and your phone every other minute. You may not realise it

but you actually blink less while gaming, so it can make a

real difference to just, every hour or so, look away from the

screen and do a few conscious blinks to make sure your

peepers aren’t drying out.

04

AVOID RSI

Long sessions of doing the same in-game actions over and

over can leave you vulnerable to hand cramps or even a

repetitive strain injury that could haunt you for life. Regular

breaks to perform a few simple wrist exercises can make a

world of difference, and even just taking a few moments to

squeeze a stress ball can help. You can find lots of good

routines to try online.

VOICE OF

REASON

If you use a headset,
be careful how loud
you crank the volume

• long periods of time
  with it up too high can
  temporarily or even
  permanently damage
  your hearing. If you’re
  having trouble making
  out what your
  teammates are saying
  over voice chat,
  consider turning
  down the in-game
  sound effects and
  music instead of
  boosting everything
  up. Different headsets
  will have different
  recommended safe
  volume levels – check
  the manufacturer’s
  website and they
  should have the info.

HOW TO...

EXERCISE

WITH

GAMES

JUST DANCE 2019

Got a Kinect? Then why not

get your daily exercise in with

a bit of dancing in Ubisoft’s

latest boogie-simulator? Or

any past entry, seeing as

they’re the same every year.

KUNG FU FOR KINECT

Or try this oddity, which

uses the camera to place

you as the hero of your own

martial arts tale, throwing IRL

punches and kicks to fight

off hordes of enemies.

SHAPE UP

This barrage of quick-fire

Kinect mini-games –

including bench-pressing

elephants and punching

asteroids – keeps you active

without getting repetitive.

IMPROVISE

Don’t have a Kinect? Maybe

boot up your favourite game,

but jog laps around your

living room while you play it?

Watch out for the furniture,

and use a wireless controller.

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 105