Lakhasly

How a Phone Breaks Your Stride When we walk and use a phone at the same time, Giang said, we reflexively adjust how we move."You see several gait changes that reflect slowing down," said Patrick Crowley, a project manager at the Technical University of Denmark who has studied the biomechanics of walking while using a phone.And if walking makes up a big portion of your daily physical activity, strolling with a phone may have repercussions for your fitness, said Elroy Aguiar, an assistant professor of exercise science at the University of Alabama.

How a Phone Breaks Your Stride When we walk and use a phone at the same time, Giang said, we reflexively adjust how we move. Video footage of pedestrians has shown that people on phones walk about 10% slower than their undistracted counterparts. “You see several gait changes that reflect slowing down,” said Patrick Crowley, a project manager at the Technical University of Denmark who has studied the biomechanics of walking while using a phone. “People take shorter steps and spend longer time with both feet on the ground.” These changes can gum up traffic on the sidewalk. And if walking makes up a big portion of your daily physical activity, strolling with a phone may have repercussions for your fitness, said Elroy Aguiar, an assistant professor of exercise science at the University of Alabama. Looking down at a smartphone while walking — as opposed to standing up straight — can also increase the amount of load, or force, placed on the neck and upper back muscles, which can contribute to symptoms of “text neck.” Research in the journal Gait & Posture suggests all this could reduce balance and increase the risk of stumbles or falls.