In the age of social media, it is common to carry our mobile phones wherever we go. However, the use of these devices while exercising could cause serious damage to your health.
In gyms, it’s common to see people looking at their phones while using exercise bikes, treadmills, and elliptical trainers.
“The most common mistake in the gym is exercising while holding the phone. If you walk or exercise while looking at your phone screen, you may develop a chronic neck injury,” warned the neurologist.
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According to Russian neurologist Valeri Chernenko in an interview with the Russian media Doctor Piter, not taking your eyes off mobile phones during physical exercises can cause a variety of pain.
“Running with your phone is completely forbidden! Your neck, back and head will hurt,” stressed the doctor.
In addition, studies have already shown that texting or talking on the phone during exercise can affect balance and decrease training intensity.
In 2017, research revealed that exchanging text messages while exercising affects balance and stability by 45%, compared to exchanging text messages without using the phone.
On the other hand, talking on the phone worsened the balance by 19%. As a result, the person may end up falling and injuring themselves.
Another study, published in Computers in Human Behavior, found that people who texted during a 20-minute workout spent almost 10 of those minutes in a low-intensity zone, and only seven minutes in high intensity. Those who worked out without a phone spent only 3 minutes in low intensity, and almost 13 minutes in high intensity.
This might seem like common sense; it’s not news that cell phones distract us. But Michael Rebold, lead author on both studies and assistant professor of integrative exercise science at Hiram College, said he was a bit surprised by the extent to which cell phone use messed with people’s performance.
“The studies were done on college students, and you’d think that, being born in this digital age, they’d be able to multi-task somewhat better than that,” he says.
“If we’re seeing these severe impacts even on younger generations, I can only imagine how older adults might be affected.”