Smartphones increase efficiency and connectivity, but they You probably just checked your email. You probably check it all the time—on a tiny screen that sits in the palm of your hand. According to a 2010 study by comScore, more than 42 million Americans now own smartphones like BlackBerrys and iPhones, which they use to access the Internet, play games, send texts and check email. Hard to believe, but the number of texts sent every day tops the number of people on earth.

“Smartphones make you feel constantly in touch,” says Belisa Vranich, a clinical psychologist and Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute member. “They also allow for a much quicker conversation: If you text or email a question, you lower the risk of getting stuck on the phone. We’re impatient; we want things fast.”

Being able to connect on the go might add a lot of convenience to your life, but it also means spending a lot of time hunched over as you type on a tiny keyboard. The jokes about “BlackBerry thumb” and “cell-phone elbow” are no longer funny—people are starting to feel the pain of smartphone over usage and starting to look more like Gollum than Goliath. Dr. Eric Plasker, a chiropractor and a Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute member, has heard more and more of his fellow practitioners talk about patients who suffer from repetitive stress injuries—like aching fingers, joints and wrists—that are directly related to too much smartphone use.

It’s not just chiropractors who are seeing these kinds of injuries. Margot Miller, a physical therapist and American Physical Therapy Association spokeswoman, says her industry is treating these types of injuries more frequently as well.

“We’re overusing our thumbs and fingers, which makes it easy to pick up a repetitive-stress injury,” Miller says. “I did it. I was using my smartphone too much. And I should know better.”

Plasker worries most about the negative effects on our necks from looking down at our smartphones all the time. “When your neck is continually bent down, your shoulders begin to hunch over, your muscles start adapting to this position, and your spine can get misaligned,” he says. “And your spine is the lifeline of your whole body.”

So how can you counteract the effects of all this phone time? With simple exercises and stretching that will make you fit for the phone.

Also, Miller suggests not using smartphones to compose long emails. “If it’s urgent, just write a short, polite response that you’ll reply when you’re back at your desk,” she advises. In addition, you should limit how much time you spend playing games on your smartphone and the number of text messages you send daily.

If you think you’ve already picked up a stress injury, check with a chiropractor or other healthcare provider. And if you’re a frequent smartphone user, think about having a healthcare professional examine your spinal alignment.

THE GOLD'S GYM "FIT FOR THE PHONE" WORKOUT

Here is the official Gold’s Gym workout to help you avoid the dreaded texting thumbs or cell-phone elbow. Plasker and Miller suggest these exercises that you can sprinkle through the day at your job, at the gym and on the go.

Do At Your Desk

Tap each finger with the thumb of the same hand. Repeat five times.

Alternate tapping the palm of your hand and the back of your hand against your thigh as quickly as you can. Repeat 20 times.

Open your hands, and spread your fingers as far apart as possible. Hold for 10 seconds, and repeat eight times.

Intertwine your fingers together, and turn your palms away from your body as you extend your arms forward. You should feel only a gentle stretch. Hold for 10 seconds, and repeat eight times.

Fold your hands together, turn your palms away from your body, and extend your arms overhead. You should feel the stretch in your upper torso and from your shoulders to your hand. Hold for 10 seconds, and repeat eight times.

On the Go

Lift your head, eyes looking forward, to interrupt looking down as you use the smartphone or similar handheld device.

Shrug your shoulders and perform shoulder rolls to keep your shoulders, neck and upper back muscles relaxed.

At the Gym

Lower Back Extensions (a.k.a. Superman)
3 sets of 10
Grab a stability ball and balance on it with your stomach on top and your toes on the ground. Let your torso fall over the ball, and relax your arms by your sides. Starting with your head and upper back, slowly lift your spine until it’s straight. Slowly return to start. This move will strengthen your lower back, helping you to stand up straight.

Romanian Deadlift With Upright Row
3 sets of 10 to 12
Stand upright, your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold dumbbells in front of your thighs as you lower them, keeping your back straight and your chest out. Then lift up the dumbbells almost to your chin, with your bent arms parallel to the ground. Slowly return to starting position.

This move works your shoulders, as well as your lower back and glutes, to help counteract slouching. Make sure to start with light weights.

On a Mat

Cat Cow
3 to 5 reps
Start on all fours, with your wrists below your shoulders and your knees about hip-distance apart. Drop your belly, and lift your head to look up at the ceiling. Then round the spine and drop the neck until you’re looking at your navel.

Cobra
3 to 5 reps
Lie on your stomach. Place your palms flat, directly under your shoulders. Press the tops of your feet into the floor, and lift your upper chest about six inches off the floor. Make sure to keep your neck straight and your eyes on the floor.

Upward Dog
3 to 5 reps
Lie on your stomach. Bend your elbows, and spread your palms on the floor beside your waist. Press your hands into the floor, then straighten your arms and lift your torso up off the floor. Lean your head back until you can see the ceiling. Keep the thighs firm and turned slightly inward, the arms firm and turned out so the elbow creases face-forward.

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You’re too busy? You’re too sore? You’re embarrassed? Gold’s Gym trainers have heard every reason for avoiding exercise—including some that are just plain ridiculous. “It’s too cold.” (Uh, it’s not cold in the gym.) “I don’t like leaving my cat alone.” (Hold on, our eyes are rolling.) We’ve compiled the top 10 excuses that gym skippers give, and we’ve got a solution to each and every one.

I’m too tired after work.

Solution: Being active makes you more energetic in the long run. “Wake up early and go before work,” says celebrity trainer and Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute member Mike Ryan. If you’re a snooze-button fan, think about going at lunch or turn a co-worker into a gym buddy. “It can inspire some healthy competition,” Ryan says. “You don’t want to be the lazy one.”

Bottom line: If you’re always tired after a long day at the office, then exercise might be the cure.

My life is just too busy.

Solution: Shawn Kraft, a Gold’s Gym personal trainer in San Antonio, hears this one all the time. “You have to make time for you,” says Kraft. “Schedule it in. Put it on your calendar and treat this like an important meeting.” Ryan seconds that and believes there is always time for a quick run around the block or a dumbbell routine while you watch television.

Bottom line: Making time for yourself should be a priority.

I have to watch my kids.

Solution: First check with your local Gold’s Gym to see if it offers child care. If it doesn’t, arrange for your spouse to watch the kids while you’re at the gym, or ask a friend and then return the favor. “And you can also work out with your kids,” says Ryan. “Go for a bike ride or play a Wii workout game with them.”

Bottom line: Staying active and healthy for your children’s sake should be the main reason to toss this excuse.

I’m too sore.

Solution: Be sure you vary your workouts so that you aren’t exercising the same muscles over and over — a common cause of soreness. “If you normally run on the treadmill, then ride a stationary bike or use an elliptical machine,” suggests Michael Gutierrez, a Gold’s Gym personal trainer in Brownsville, Texas. “Or skip the weights and take a yoga class.” That said, if you’re so sore that you can’t perform everyday tasks like lifting a box, you should skip the gym.

Bottom line: The stronger you are, the less sore you’ll be next time.

I’m intimidated by the machines.

Solution: You can always ask a Gold’s Gym trainer to show you around or explain how to use a machine. Also, there are many online resources, including goldsgym.com and bodybuilding.com, that can teach you proper form and technique.

Bottom line: Overcome your fear with knowledge.

I’ve gained so much weight that I’m embarrassed.

Solution: Remember that everyone at the gym is there to focus on his or her own body — they’re not there to compete. “Let the gym be a sanctuary,” Ryan advises. Then make sure not to push yourself too hard at the beginning or be dismayed when you hit a plateau. “Take it slow,” adds Kraft. “Ask a trainer to show you some simple moves, and get to know the gym staff. We want to be your cheerleaders.”

Bottom line: Surrounding yourself with other people who are committed to staying in shape can motivate you to get healthy again.

I’m not getting any results.

Solution: “You need to establish a goal,” insists Ryan. “Do you want to be more muscular, leaner, toned? Then formulate a strategy of exercise and nutrition to achieve that goal.” Begin your strategy by setting small, realistic goals — a few pounds, 10 more minutes on the treadmill — then go from there. Make sure not to sleepwalk through the same old routine. Shake up your workouts to shock your muscles and get results. If you always do floor sit-ups, do them on a BOSU ball; increase the resistance on the cardio machine; or try interval training.

Bottom line: Results come from hard work.

I’m late for my favorite class or my personal training session.

Solution: “Go anyway,” says Ryan. You can probably sneak into the class (they don’t lock the doors when classes start), or try another class. If you’re late for a training session, your trainer can either create a shorter, tougher workout or give you extra exercises to do after the session ends.

Bottom line: Any amount of workout time is worth showing up for.

Cardio bores me.

Solution: Try a functional training group class where you can build muscle and burn calories by using your own body weight as resistance. And don’t forget: Interval weight training can get your heart pounding just as hard as a stair machine – take a Bodypump class.

Bottom line: The benefits of cardio can be achieved on and off the treadmill.

I’m hungover.

Solution: “Well, you should think before you go out to the bar, and limit your intake,” Gutierrez advises. “But exercise is also a good cure. Go to the gym to sweat it out, and drink lots of water.”

Bottom line: Drink responsibly, and don’t let this excuse become a regular one.

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• 15 Industrial Drive
• Middletown NY 10941
• 845-344-4653
• http://www.goldsgym.com/middletownny
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• http://www.goldsmiddletown.com/ggx