Sports for Poker Players: Best Picks for Focus

Poker is rarely associated with sports. It might seem that success at the table depends solely on knowledge of strategy, the ability to analyze ranges, and control over emotions. However, any player who regularly spends 6+ hours at the computer sooner or later notices one pattern: by the end of a session, thinking becomes harder, attention scatters, and the number of mistakes gradually grows.

Many attribute this to an unlucky run, tilt*, or lack of motivation. In reality, the cause is often much more mundane — the body simply lacks movement.

*Tilt is an emotional or psychological state in which a player loses self-control and begins to deviate from their optimal strategy due to frustration, anger, stress, or even excessive joy.

We covered the problem of tilt in the world of poker in more detail in this article.

Professional poker players have long stopped viewing sports as a hobby unrelated to the game. For many, regular training has become part of the work process, on par with hand reviews, studying theory, and analyzing databases. It's no coincidence that well-known players regularly say that physical activity is exactly what helps them maintain productivity during long playing days. 

Let's break down why sport is so important for a poker player, which types of physical activity have the best effect on concentration, and how to fit workouts into the schedule of long sessions.

Why does a poker player need sports if they play sitting down?

From the outside, poker might seem like one of the most comfortable professions. There's no need to carry heavy loads, the entire workday takes place in a comfortable chair, and physical fatigue is practically absent. In practice, it's not that simple. 

During a long session, a player can spend eight, ten, or sometimes even twelve hours in a chair. During this time, the muscles barely work, blood circulation worsens, the neck and lower back go numb, and overall body tone decreases. Over time, problems familiar to most players appear: 

• neck and lower back pain

• worsening posture

• a feeling of fatigue after just a few hours of play

• decreased concentration

• headaches

• a feeling of a "foggy" head by the end of the session

The problem is that the brain is directly dependent on the state of the body. Despite the sedentary nature of the work, during the game it consumes an enormous amount of energy. If the body lacks movement, the delivery of oxygen and nutrients worsens, which means the ability to maintain a high level of concentration also decreases. That's why physical condition affects not only health, but also the quality of decisions made.

This is especially noticeable during long MTT sessions. While a player feels energetic during the first few hours, closer to the later stages attention gradually begins to scatter. The likelihood of mechanical actions increases, it becomes harder to count ranges, and the desire to finish the game quickly appears. It's precisely at such moments that many costly mistakes are made.

Sport doesn't make a person stronger at poker directly. But it helps maintain, for longer, a state in which these mistakes occur significantly less often.

How sport improves concentration

The connection between physical activity and brain function is confirmed by numerous studies. During exercise, it's not only the state of the muscles that changes, but also the functioning of the nervous system: 

1. Blood supply to the brain improves

Any aerobic exercise makes the heart work more actively. As a result, the brain receives more oxygen and nutrients necessary for the normal functioning of nerve cells. After regular training, many players note that it becomes easier for them to maintain attention throughout the entire session, and the feeling of fatigue sets in much later.

2. The formation of new neural connections is stimulated

During physical activity, the body begins to produce more protein. It is often called a kind of "fertilizer for the brain," because it helps neurons form new connections and supports learning processes. This is especially important for a poker player.

Studying new strategies, reviewing hands, working with solvers*, and constant learning require a high ability to absorb new information. Regular training helps maintain these processes.

*A solver is a specialized computer program that calculates theoretically optimal strategies for specific game situations.

3. It becomes easier to cope with stress

Every poker session is accompanied by emotional ups and downs. Downswings, coolers*, lost all-ins, and prolonged downstreaks* create serious psychological strain.

*A cooler (from the English "cooler" — something that "cools the ardor") is a situation in a hand where two or more players receive very strong card combinations, and none of them have an objective reason to fold.

*A downstreak is a period of prolonged losses, when a player regularly suffers defeats even though they are making optimal decisions in hands. We talked in more detail about how to deal with downstreaks in this article. 

During exercise, the body produces endorphins and dopamine — substances that help improve mood and reduce stress levels. That's why many feel calmer and more confident after a workout.

4. Sleep quality improves

Another important effect of regular physical activity is deeper and higher-quality sleep.  

A good workout during the day helps the body transition to full rest more quickly at night, which means the player starts the next session fresher and more focused. In this way, sport affects several factors that determine the quality of play at once: attention, memory, emotional stability, and the ability to maintain concentration for a long time.

Cardio — the best choice for focus

If we're talking specifically about the effect on brain function, aerobic exercise takes first place. This includes:

• running

• swimming

• cycling

• brisk walking

• rowing machine

It's cardio that best improves blood supply to the brain and increases overall endurance. For a poker player, this means the ability to maintain concentration longer without feeling significant fatigue. And there's no need at all to prepare for a marathon.

The World Health Organization recommends that adults spend at least 150 minutes on moderate aerobic exercise per week. That's just 30 minutes five times a week, or a little more than 20 minutes daily.

This amount of activity is already capable of positively affecting cognitive function, sleep, and overall wellbeing. It's important to understand that we're talking specifically about regularity. One heavy workout once every two weeks won't bring the same effect as a daily half-hour brisk walk.

Many well-known poker players follow exactly this approach. Some play tennis several times a week, some combine running with strength training, and some regularly go swimming. The overall idea remains the same: physical activity becomes just as much a part of the work schedule as theory or play.

Another important question is when to train. An intense workout shouldn't be done right before a long poker session. After a heavy workout, the body needs time to recover, and the feeling of fatigue can reduce concentration in the very first hours of play.

It's better to schedule main workouts in the morning, during the day, or several hours before the grind begins. If there's very little time left before starting the tables, it's much more useful to do a light warm-up, take a brisk walk, or perform a few mobility exercises. This kind of activity helps energize the body and prepare it for extended work without causing overexertion.

Strength training and working on posture

While cardio has the best effect on endurance and brain function, you shouldn't limit yourself to it entirely. Poker players spend most of the day sitting, so strength training and exercises that strengthen the back and core muscles play an equally important role.

Prolonged time at the computer creates constant strain on the spine. Over time, many players encounter what's known as "tech neck" — the habit of constantly tilting the head forward toward the monitor. This overstrains the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle, causing headaches, discomfort between the shoulder blades, and a chronic feeling of fatigue.

Another common problem is lower back pain. When the core muscles aren't sufficiently developed, the spine has to take on the entire load. After a few hours of play, it becomes harder to maintain proper posture, a desire to constantly change body position appears, and along with that attention begins to scatter.

Regular strength training helps avoid these problems. And it doesn't necessarily mean training at the gym five times a week. Even two or three workouts can noticeably improve wellbeing. It's especially useful to pay attention to the following muscle groups:

• back muscles

• core muscles (abs and lower back)

• glute muscles

• shoulder girdle

• neck muscles

Basic exercises work well:

• squats

• deadlifts (with proper technique)

• pull-ups or vertical pulldowns

• horizontal rows

• planks

• hyperextensions

The main goal of such training isn't building muscle mass, but creating a strong muscular corset that will allow you to comfortably spend several hours in a row at the tables.

It's equally important to pay attention to your workspace. Even the strongest muscles won't compensate for an uncomfortable chair or an improperly set up desk. The correct monitor height, lower back support, and comfortable seating significantly reduce strain on the spine. 

We talked in more detail about how to set up a workspace in this article. 

Yoga, breathing, and mindfulness practices

If cardio develops endurance, and strength training helps the body cope with long game days more easily, then yoga and breathing practices work with a different side of the game — concentration and emotional state.

Many perceive yoga solely as a way to improve flexibility. In reality, its main value for a poker player lies elsewhere. During practice, a person learns to hold attention on a single action: breathing, body position, sensations in the muscles. In essence, it's the same kind of concentration training, only away from the poker table. That's why yoga complements work on the mental game well.

In addition, regular stretching helps release tension that accumulates after several hours at the computer. This applies especially to the muscles of the neck, chest, and lower back.

Breathing helps restore concentration faster. Almost every poker player has encountered a situation where, after a bad hand, thoughts keep returning to it for several more minutes. Try the following algorithm:

• slowly inhale through your nose for a count of four

• hold your breath for two seconds

• smoothly exhale through your mouth for a count of six

• repeat the cycle 5–10 times

This kind of breathing reduces the level of arousal in the nervous system and helps you get rid of emotional tension faster. Of course, it won't make you forget about the downswing. But it will allow you to stop mentally replaying a hand that's already over and refocus on the current decision.

Another practice that's becoming increasingly popular among professional players is mindfulness meditation. Despite common myths, meditation isn't about trying to "think about nothing." On the contrary, its goal is to notice when attention begins to drift and calmly bring it back to the chosen object, most often the breath.

This is very similar to what happens during a poker session. A player notices that they're starting to think about a lost all-in, recalls last week's results, or worries about a downstreak. Instead of continuing this internal dialogue, they bring their attention back to the current hand.

In essence, meditation develops the same skill needed for quality play — the ability to hold focus on the present moment. You can start with literally five minutes a day. Over time, many note that it becomes easier for them to concentrate not only at the poker table, but also during study, database review, and work with solvers.

Conclusion

In poker, it's impossible to control the cards or your opponents' actions. But you can control your own state. And sport is one of the simplest ways to increase the likelihood that you'll sit down at the table in your best shape.

Regular physical activity improves concentration, increases endurance, makes it easier to cope with stress, and promotes quality recovery after long game days. Cardio helps the brain work more effectively, strength training supports back health and posture, and yoga and breathing practices develop the ability to quickly bring attention back to the current moment.

And if you submit an application to FunFarm, we'll teach you game strategies which, combined with the right attitude toward your body, will lead to success in the game.