We use it every day for several hours and have an oppressive feeling when we leave the house without it: the mobile phone. Unfortunately, the constant use of the smartphone also entails health risks. Find out what cell phone naps is all about and what exercises can help.
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That’s how many hours we spend on our smartphones every day
The time that young and old people spend on their cell phones has been increasing steadily for years. According to the analysis platform App Annie , users spent 4.2 hours a day on their smartphones in 2020. In 2019 it was 3.7 hours, in 2018 only 3.0 hours. Many people underestimate their consumption and we often reach for the cell phone reflexively without consciously noticing it. However, constantly looking down can cause health consequences.
Mobile phone neck: Pain and tension are inevitable
Our cervical spine is extremely flexible and for good reason: we can look around at any time without having to move our entire torso. Neck pain and poor posture are of course nothing new, because at least since people have been working at desks, reading books or staring at a computer screen, overload, incorrect strain and tension have been occurring again and again. Why is looking at the smartphone so harmful? In addition to the long service life, our head is tilted downwards by approx. 60° – an extreme angle at which five times the forces are usedaffect our cervical spine. The head of an average adult weighs around 6 kilograms – so when you look down at your cell phone, 30 kilograms are constantly acting on the cervical spine.
For a brief moment, the vertebrae and intervertebral discs of the neck can easily cope with such a load. However, if we stare at our mobile phone for minutes at a time or repeatedly for 10, 20 or 30 seconds, there is enormous pressure on the intervertebral discs and a strong pull on the muscles. The consequences are neck pain , muscle tension and, in the worst case, even joint damage and herniated discs in the cervical spine.
Exercises against mobile phone neck and neck pain
1. Double chin
You can do this exercise on a wall at first to learn the sequence of movements. Once you get a feel for the movement, you can do it anytime, anywhere to relieve your neck.
- Stand with your back to the wall and lean your entire body against it.
- Also, press your shoulders and the back of your head against the wall with gentle pressure.
- Now actively push the area of your cervical spine towards the wall by making a slight double chin and straightening your neck as if a thread were pulling your head towards the ceiling.
- Hold the position for a few seconds and then relax your muscles.
- Repeat the movement several times in a row and ideally several times a day, depending on how you feel and how tense you are.
- Don’t overdo it at the beginning so as not to overload your muscles.
2. Lateral stretch
In order to relax your muscles and to move the joints of your cervical spine in different directions, you are welcome to do the following exercise daily or when you are tense.
- Stand or sit up straight, push out your chest and pull your shoulders back and down.
- Now slowly and carefully tilt your head to the left until you feel a stretch in your neck. The gaze remains forward.
- At the same time, stretch your right arm down and point your palm toward the floor.
- If you want to increase the stretch, use your left hand (!) to help and gently pull your head.
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, then slowly switch sides.
- Repeat three times per side and like to do it daily or when you have tension.
