Smartphone Use & Posture
New research from Florida’s Orlando Health system showed that, on average, American adults spend more than three and a half hours a day looking down at their phones. Results from a national survey found that only 47 percent of those responding said they were concerned about the consequences: poor posture that can lead to chronic pain as well as circulation problems, heartburn and digestive issues. If your head is four inches in front of your body when you’re looking down at your phone that’s like having a child sitting on your shoulders the whole time, said Nathaniel Melendez, an Orlando Health exercise physiologist. People compensate for poor posture with short steps, rounded shoulders and walking with their head and neck down, Melendez says. The solution requires corrective exercises to improve posture and ease pain. But first you’ve got to become aware that slouching over your phone could be taking a toll on your body.
Source:
Orlando Health news release, October 9, 2019, orlandohealth.com/content-hub/bad-posture-often-to-blame-for-chronic-pain-and-health-issues
More from this week’s bulletin:
- Your Weight & Cancer Risk
- No Smoking Is Safe
- Recipe: Antioxidant Berry-Walnut Muffins with Sea Buckthorn Juice Glaze
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