Is screen time bad for your body?
Do you often feel stiff in your upper back or find that your neck and shoulders feel tired and sore? Is it a bit of a strain to sit up straight? Are you starting to feel like your back resembles Quasimodo a little more than you’d like it to? It’s possible the amount of time you spend staring at your phone, tablet or computer screen is contributing to these issues.
Is screen time bad for your body?
In today’s society we’re fortunate enough to have a wide variety of technology available to make life easier. But have you ever wondered whether or not your screen time is having an impact on you and your body? There’s a lot to unpack in that question but from a purely physical and mechanical point of view (being a physio website after all!), sitting for long periods and looking down at your phone or tablet can certainly have an impact on how you feel and how you move.
Having your head in a forward position, slouching and spending a lot of time looking down can all lead to poor posture over time. Bad posture can cause imbalances in your body and require you to use more effort to maintain stability within your spine. Having your head forward makes it heavier for the spine to support which then requires some of the muscles in your neck and back to work overtime. This can cause some muscles to become tight while others become weak from being underused. This slouched, head down position can also cause your shoulders to round inwards and really tighten up your pectoral muscles leaving the muscles in your upper back feeling overstretched. All of this can contribute to headaches and back pain, and can even contribute to numbness and tingling in the hands and arms.
Some tips to help reduce the impact of screen time on your body include:
Some tips to help reduce the impact of screen time on your body include:
- Take regular breaks! If you spend a lot of time sitting at a desk doing computer work or use your phone a lot remember to stand up regularly and move around. A little walk on the spot and some simple stretches can be a great way to avoid being in the same position for too long
- Consider the position of your head. Developing self-awareness around how you are holding your head will enable you to make small adjustments throughout the day and will hopefully help keep some of those headaches at bay!
- Re-position your device so you don’t have to tilt your head down. Keeping your elbows at your sides and holding the phone higher towards your eye line will mean less strain on your neck
- Adjust your seat to avoid slouching
- Get a massage or see a physio for some hands on treatment and advice about stretches and exercises to help!
Our friendly team here at Hoppers Physio in Hoppers Crossing are happy to help with any questions you may have about how to use your devices without putting strain on your body. Give us a call today to chat to our team or make an appointment: (03) 9749 5110