25 Feb Are you Looking Where you are Going?
As a physiotherapist, I observe people walking and looking intensely on their phones on a daily basis.
This practice can cause all sorts of problems, ranging from the mundane to the bizarre. Let’s start with the mundane.
The most obvious issue with using your phone while you are walking is that you aren’t looking where you are going! This has resulted in many a client coming in after tripping or stepping off a curb awkwardly or falling over as a result of not looking out for hazards ahead.
I will now share an amusing incident that occurred as a result of my husband looking at his phone while walking…..this would be the bizarre!
As he was walking to work (looking at his phone), a pigeon flew by and happened to glance his hand and knock his phone out of his hand, resulting in it hitting the pavement and shattering the screen. Obviously he didn’t sustain an injury, but would have not had to replace and expensive phone had it been in his pocket!
As well as these hazards, walking with your head leaning forward to look at your phone creates a change in biomechanics with your neck. Your head is very heavy on your neck (think bowling ball on a pencil). Our neck has a wonderful lordotic curve, which helps manage the weight of your head, looking down changes this curve quite significantly, meaning your muscles have to work much harder to hold your head up. Over time, these over worked muscles begin to get tired and you may start experiencing neck and upper back pain, or even headaches.
Looking after your posture and where you are going may save you a lot of pain and trips to the physiotherapist, so make sure you are looking where you are going….and watch out for pigeons!
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