ONE IDEA

Put your cell phone away at the gym.

THE WHY

Long-term exposure to cell phones may increase serum cortisol levels (aka stress) in animals (Ahmadi et al., 2014). Also, it’s just a pure distraction.

MY THOUGHTS/ PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

I was at the gym earlier this week and saw a 14-year old kid answer his phone 3 times in a 1-hour session. It made me realize that constant phone use during a workout is a major source of distraction. Aside from interfering with the work you should be doing, constant phone use can add micro stress to your day and prevent adaptation from occurring, particularly when it is compounded with the rest of life’s stresses. The quality of your training depends on the quality of the standards you set for yourself. If you want results, get in the gym, do the work, and save the Snapchat for later.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE

“We’re living an era where capturing moments using our phones is more important than actually living these moments with whoever is beside us.”

-Anonymous

References

Ahmadi T. A., Ahmadi, R., & Gohari, A. (2014). Long term exposure to cell phone radiation and stress. International Conference on Earth, Environment and Life sciences (EELS-2014) Dec. 23-24, 2014 Dubai (UAE).