Study highlights dangers of keeping your phone handy at the gym

The next time you hit the gym you may want to leave your smartphone in your locker. According to two recent studies, talking on the phone or texting during your workout can lead to less intense exercise and even lead to injury.

“Certain cell phone functions, texting and talking, can be detrimental to a bout of exercise,” says Michael Rebold, PhD, an assistant professor of integrative exercise science at Hiram College in Ohio, who led the studies. The research team found that speaking or texting on your smartphone can negatively affect your balance whether at the gym or conducting everyday activities.

The study, “The Impact of Different Cell Phone Functions and Their Effects on Postural Stability”, examined the postural stability of 45 students as they texted, talked, and listened to music on smartphones while using a Biodex Balance System SD to measure their posture.

“Participants performed an exercise in which they had to keep a dot in the centre of the screen as best as they could for the duration of each assessment,” says Rebold. “This is where we found that those who use their cell phone for texting and talking have negative impacts on their balance.”

The results show that texting has the most significant impact on balance, reducing postural stability by 45 per cent when compared to not using a smartphone at all. Speaking on a smartphone reduced postural stability by 19 per cent and listening to music did not have any notable impact.