Is
The answer is maybe – at least, according to a new study by researchers from the College of Education, Health and Human Services at Kent State University.
For the study, 300 college students were surveyed on cell phone usage and then assessed for fitness levels and body composition. Researchers found that participants who spent a large amount of time on their cell phones (as much as 14 hours per day!) were less fit than participants who averaged 90 minutes or less on their phones.
According to one participant:
Now that I have switched to the iPhone I would say it definitely decreases my physical activity because before I just had a Blackberry, so I didn’t have much stuff on it. But now, if I’m bored, I can just download whatever I want.
Of course, cell phones are more than phones; they’re used for gaming, messages, videos, music, emails, photography… and the list goes on. But unlike a television, cell phones are mobile – which means you can use your phone while engaged in other active activities. For example, listening to music while on a hike.
Even so, it appears that cell phone use may be a contributing factor to sedentary lifestyles. Or else, people with already sedentary lifestyles spend a lot of time with their cell phones. It’s a bit like asking which came first: The chicken or the egg?
Regardless, all of us could spend a little less time on our phones and a lot more time being healthy and active. But first, download the Davey Wavey Fitness iPhone app for guilt-free cell phone usage. 🙂