According to a recent study conducted by scientists from Vienna, it was shown that using a smartphone while moving leads to a change in the way you walk. Long-term effects can be harmful, according to the Office of the City of Vienna in Sarajevo.
Today’s life is hard to imagine without a smartphone, and many people use it during their daily movement. New research from scientists at FH-Campus Wien reveals the impact smartphone use while moving has on the body, gait and joints.
The statement states that the scientists compared normal and unaltered gait with gait while using a smartphone. The study, published by the renowned Heliyon magazine, was conducted in one of the most modern interactive laboratories for the analysis of gait and daily human movement in real time. The subjects walked on a special lane in front of a screen on which a virtual environment was projected. In parallel, the respondents solved mathematical problems, once in their heads, once with the help of a smartphone.
The results of the study show that the body switches to a specific security mode when using a smartphone. The speed of the step decreases, and at the same time there is an increase in the width of the step. While these smaller, wider steps reduce the risk of falling, they also put more stress on the outside of the knee joint. In the long run, this can lead to permanent damage: the cartilage and meniscus can lose resistance over the years, which in the worst case can cause osteoarthritis, the researchers predict.
This knowledge enables experts in the field of physiotherapy, sports, nutrition and technology to develop applications and smart systems, and conduct fundamental research aimed at their application.
