A physician roasted my posture and offered simple tips for healthier gaming

Gaming chairs carried a style-over-substance reputation for years, but that view is changing as the science of sitting evolves. I met Dr. Lindsey Migliore — an esports physician who wrote a book, founded the consultancy GamerDoc in 2020, and advises Herman Miller and Secretlab — at Secretlab's HQ in Singapore.

I showed her my awful sitting: a persistent hunch, feet not always flat, and a standing desk I rarely use. She quickly identified the issue as the likely cause of my morning lower back pain, though I can still touch my toes because I do yoga. Dr. Lindsey walked me through practical adjustments: keep your feet flat and knees in line with (or slightly below) the hips; set seat depth so two to three finger breadths fit behind the knee; press your low back into the lumbar support.

Set armrests so your wrists stay neutral, keep monitors an arm’s length away with the top at or just below eye level, and use an adjustable desk or stack books under the legs if needed. She stressed that ergonomics must be behavioural as well as physical.

Singapore, Singapore

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