The impact of smart phones on posture – the way we hold the body

September 12, 2019

The posture is the way we hold our body. There are two types:

• A dynamic posture is how you hold your body when you move, walk, run or bend to get something.
• Static posture is how you hold your body when you do not move, when you sit, stand or sleep.

Surely, we can’t imagine a day without a cell phone. It has become a part of our daily lives, and we become addicted to many situations. But what many of us do not know is that excessive use of cell phones damages our body.

Experts are increasingly talking about this topic and we cannot ignore it because our goal is to provide comfortable and quality life for people through ergonomics.

In most cases, the problems arise from the wrong body position when using a cell phone.

The most common problems that occur with overuse of smartphones are:

• headaches
• shoulder pain
• spine curvature
• visual impairment

The illustration shows that the spine is subjected to force according to the head position.

Within a neutral position at an angle of 0°C we have a load of 6 kg, which would be the weight of our head, but by increasing the angle, the load on the spine increases.

The most common position we take is at an angle of about 30 degrees, which is about 18 kg of weight.

We usually spend an average of 2 to 4 hours a day using our smartphones, which means our body is exposed to enormous pressure.

To avoid these problems and to preserve our health, we must learn how to use the devices without burdening our bodies.

Always keep your phone at eye level in order to keep your head, neck and shoulders in a better position.

Periodically move your head from side to side to stretch the muscles.

Stop at the door, stretch your arms out and bend your chest. This will help you relax the muscles that are fixed in one position while using the smartphone for a long time.

Improper body position can reduce lung capacity by as much as 30%, which increases the chances of a cardiovascular disease.

For having a proper posture, we must be physically active every day, which includes running, swimming, stretching and yoga.