From everyday enthusiasts to esports professionals, the gaming industry surged in 2020. This growth also increased competition, challenging esports' premier athletes and novice gamers alike to find ways beyond the screen to level up their play.
Enter Jasper Schellens, a fitness trainer and gamer who is shedding light on how gamers can sharpen their competitive edge with a healthy and active IRL lifestyle. In my opinion, both mental and physical wellness are very important in the competitive world of esports, he told For the Record. Not only is it important to be on top of your game for hours on end, you have to be mentally strong to withstand the pressure from outside.
Jasper, who is a fitness coach for the professional esports organization FaZe Clan, looks at the gamers he works with like any other sport's class of elite athletes. A lot of pro gamers are actually very talented athletes inside and outside of the game, says Jasper. They're driven and understand that hard work leads to improvement.
Still, you don't need to belong to the upper echelons of the esports community to reap the benefits of a fitness routine-Jasper is looking to show that any gamer, even beginners, can improve their virtual performance by taking care of their physical and mental health. Jasper is even teaming up with YouTuber and Twitch streamer Marcella de Bie for a livestream workout class.
For Marcella, wellness encompasses more than just consistent trips to the gym. She says getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep, staying hydrated, and taking time to unwind are essential to keeping a healthy mindset, which is key for gaming. I find it very important to be in a good mental state when playing or streaming games, she says. You can't sit behind a PC for hours a day without doing something that calms your mind and helps you relax.
If you're looking to take control of your fitness, it doesn't need to begin with a top-to-bottom lifestyle overhaul. Gaming sessions can be long and intense, so Jasper recommends trying to get up and move around every 30 minutes to an hour when possible. This is a good tip for players and really anyone who may be working from home and spending a lot of time in front of a screen. Outside of gaming, the coach suggests committing to at least 30 active minutes daily, like a long walk or easy jog, while tuned in to Jasper's favorite gaming podcasts, The CouRage and Nadeshot Show or Mom's Basement.
If you're ready to up the intensity, Jasper gave For the Record a few gamer-specific workout tips. Gamers tend to lean forward, especially when it comes to clutch moments, he says. So some exercises and stretches that allow you to work on your posture are very important. Try Jasper's suggestions: Loosen up with some stretches like child's pose, cat-cow pose, and neck retraction. Next, he suggests some gym exercises like:
Face pulls: One of the best exercises to train your rear deltoids which can be a huge factor to good posture. I'd recommend it on a cable machine with a rope attachment. Another fun way to try is with a barbell, using a very wide grip to pull the bar directly to your face.
Pull-Ups: A staple back exercise which will help with overall back development! There are a ton of variations that help you target different parts of the back. I recommend doing a wider or neutral grip to start off with-assisted if needed!
Reverse Fly: Another great exercise for the rear delts & lower trapezius. You can do this exercise with a cable or dumbbells.
Behind every great workout is a high-energy, heart-pumping playlist. Jasper likes to break a sweat to Tiesto and NF, with an emphasis on inspiring lyrics to soundtrack his bigger lifts. Marcella focuses on rhythm, preferring to listen to hip-hop and hardstyle EDM tracks when she's gaming and exercising.
Ready to get your heart rate up? On Sunday January 24 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, join Jasper (http://twitch.tv/xfazejasper) and Marcella (http://twitch.tv/nysira) on Twitch for a livestream workout.
Find new music for gaming or your workout routine with Jasper's takeover of our Start Select playlist, which sits alongside an ever-growing platform of curated gaming playlists, gaming-centric podcasts, and Original Game Soundtracks as part of Spotify's Gaming Hub.
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
02/10/2026
How the fertility sector in Ireland remains unregulated
Undercover filming reveals how without proper regulation the promotion of controversial fertility treat...
02/10/2026
Transforming Homes, Transforming Lives
Presenter Baz Ashmawy and his team take on four life-changing builds across Kildare, Limerick, Wicklow and Offaly in the...
01/10/2026
Third collaboration with celebrated composer
Spitfire Audio have once again teamed up with Grammy-nominated composer, producer and technologist BT, creating...
01/10/2026
FL Studio gets dedicated grid controller
Novation have teamed up with FL Studio developers Image-Line to create another dedicated controller for the popular...
01/10/2026
Six new USB interfaces introduced
Universal Audio's USB audio interface line-up has just been refreshed, gaining six new models aimed at musicians, prod...
01/10/2026
Siretta's SNYPER-5G cellular network analyser has been shortlisted for the IoT Global Awards 2026.
The IoT Global Awards recognise products, services and o...
01/10/2026
Mesh Broadcast Services Fits Big-Truck Audio Power into Compact Eclipse Unit with Calrec Argo M Canadian OB company Mesh Broadcast Services has fitted its Eclip...
01/10/2026
X-Rite Pantone Launches Spectura to Advance Connected Color Quality from Lab to ...
01/10/2026
Thursday 1 October 2026
Nominees revealed for 2026 Sky Arts Awards
Current slide, 0 0, undefined1
0
Irish National Opera and Jennifer Walshe: MARS
Jacob Al...
01/10/2026
Vital TV antenna replaced at SudburyHelicopter and broadcast engineers work together to upgrade TV services for 1.5M in the East
--
Share to Linkedin
Octobe...
01/10/2026
Arqiva appoints Simon Duffy as ChairSimon Duffy joins as Chair effective 01 October 2026
--
Share to Linkedin
October 1, 2026
Press Office
01 October 2026...
01/10/2026
Season 4 of the multi-award-winning hit entertainment series The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In is back, serving up another round of unpredictable laughs, unforg...
01/10/2026
New season begins Sunday, 4 October at 6pm on RT lyric fm and RT Listen
RT lyric fm's arts and culture documentary series The Lyric Feature returns on S...
01/10/2026
RT is proud to continue its commitment to supporting and celebrating the arts across Ireland this October, highlighting a vibrant programme of theatre, music, ...
30/09/2026
Add an envelope generator to any plug-in
Sync Audio's latest creation is a handy utility plug-in that can be used to combine and modulate other effects ...
30/09/2026
All-analogue tape-style drive joins Series A
Strymon's reputation was built on their digital knowhow, so many were surprised (and intrigued) when they a...
30/09/2026
Two new expansion packs released
Sonuscore have just introduced two new expansion packs for The Pulse, its production engine instrument for modern cinematic...
30/09/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
30/09/2026
New Solution Expands Harmonic's Network Intelligence Portfolio and Brings Comcast-Developed Fiber Monitoring Technology to Broadband Operators, Providing Re...
30/09/2026
How to Shop Well Now starts Monday at 9.35pm
on RT One and RT Player
On the...
29/09/2026
Two new plug-ins launch alongside updated bundles
Zynaptiq have just announced the launch of two new plug-ins, alongside new and improved versions of two of...
29/09/2026
All-in-one bus processor revealed
Wes Audio's ng product range has come a long way since it was first introduced, and now includes a tasty selection of ...
29/09/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
29/09/2026
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN, OR AT ANY ADDRESS IN, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS TERRITO...
29/09/2026
We tend to think we live in a digital world, with hopes and fears around artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, data centres and the next big technolo...
29/09/2026
Today, in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Apple relea...
29/09/2026
Final Cut Camera, the professional filming app for iPhone, receives a major upda...
29/09/2026
RT lyric fm is proud to announce the annual Choirs for Christmas competition callout. Warm up those vocal chords and join us on RT lyric fm for a celebration ...
28/09/2026
EQ plug-in can now be played via MIDI
Scaler Music have recently released a new and improved version of their patented musical EQ plug-in, kitting it out wi...
28/09/2026
New synth developed in collaboration with philterSoup
Boutique effects pedal and Eurorack manufacturer Animal Factory Amps have announced that the new compa...
28/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz adds an integrated multi-channel pulse analysis option to its FS...
28/09/2026
Monday 28 September 2026
Sky launches Full Fibre 1.6 Gbps for millions of homes
Sky has launched a new Full Fibre 1.6 Gbps product, rolling out from today, gi...
28/09/2026
Arvato Systems Highlights It's Role for Automotive Manufacturers and Suppliers
TISAX
Arvato Systems has successfully completed the TISAX Level 3 assess...
28/09/2026
Crimecall, presented by Carla O'Brien, returns tonight for a brand new series at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player.
In tonight's episode, alongside appe...
28/09/2026
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS AT THE HEART OF NEW IRISH WRITING
LIVE FROM POETRY IRELAND, DUBLIN AND ON RT RADIO 1 FROM 7PM
DETAILS: www.rte.ie/writing | FOLLOW: #r...
27/09/2026
New compact pedal packs in 120 effects
The latest multi-effects pedal from Boss is a compact unit that promises to give any pedalboard a massive boost in s...
26/09/2026
Launched alongside three new expansion packs
In celebration of their 30th anniversary, Native Instruments have released a major update for their Maschine 3 ...
25/09/2026
Algorithm update & new DVA vibrato-detection engine
A new flagship version of Antares' iconic pitch-correction software has arrived, and along with a co...
25/09/2026
New flagship unit to arrive in early 2027
Two notes Audio Engineering have revealed that a new and improved version of their hugely popular reactive load bo...
25/09/2026
AI-free mixing tool gets an upgrade
Launched in October 2025, Tim Exiles Finalist is an algorithmic mixing tool that's been designed for those who don&#...
25/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Mobile Test Summit 2026 puts the spotlight on 6G - registrations...
25/09/2026
In our latest blog, Tim Pearson reflects on IBC 2026 and considers the main learnings against an industry that saw AI finally coming out of the labs and into pr...
25/09/2026
Friday 25 September 2026
How to watch an unmissable weekend of women's football on Sky Sports and NOW
Sky Sports and NOW will broadcast seven live games f...
25/09/2026
Friday 25 September 2026
YAGA trailer released, coming exclusively to Sky and N...
25/09/2026
Watch this space: a new strategic direction for UK media. Arqiva has submitted its response to the Governments Green Paper on the future of television distribut...
25/09/2026
Want to be part of this year's Late Late Toy Show?
Final call for applications in search for this year's stars
The most wonderful night of the year is...
From everyday enthusiasts to esports professionals, the gaming industry surged in 2020. This growth also increased competition, challenging esports' premier athletes and novice gamers alike to find ways beyond the screen to level up their play.
