Ban Phones from the Gym?

I cannot help it but I get super annoyed when I am at the gym and I have to listen to the private conversation of some girl using the adductors machine next to me. People don’t only talk to their friends, they actually do business at the gym. There is plenty of guys on the treadmill who, according to their conversations, are juggling around huge amounts of money.

The last official study analysing today’s subject was conducted in 2012 and showed that 51% of the people attending a fitness facility were using smartphones during their workouts. Imagine, that was five years ago, I bet it is 90% now! People don’t only make phone calls or listen to music, they also take selfies or follow some exercises dictated by an application they have downloaded. And I have even spotted some gym members who were guided by a personal trainer over their smartphone.

To me, the reason for gym goers to take their cell phone to the gym is obvious: They are deadly bored. Television screens and magazines in the cardio era were the industry’s first attempt to entertain their guests and make time pass faster. But nowadays every one wants to be independent and stay connected with friends.

Right, so everyone brings their phone to the training. What about me, do I never take my phone to the club? No guys, I don’t. And mind you – I am a fitness blogger. I have tried it once because I wanted to motivate myself by listening to music. Since I am paying a monthly fee to Spotify, I thought I might as well download some tracks for the gym. But I soon realised that this was a bad idea. First of all, my phone is too big to stack it into some running belt which left me holding or putting it somewhere at earphone cable distance during the whole session. Of course there are those armband options, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable to train with that weight on my arm. Other than that I got totally distracted because I couldn’t stop myself from glancing at the notifications popping up on my display. I took the phone with me one more time because of some emergency with my son Noah’s school. Again, I was not able to concentrate on my workout at all.

Take it from me but let me also serve you some research: Smartphones can be a huge distraction which leads to injury risks for you and the people around you. According to data released by Accident Advice Helpline, 200’000 United Kingdom residents reported experiencing injuries in the health club because they were using their mobile phones while working out.

Gym owners are basically in the same situation like bar owners facing smoking prohibition: They see the health risk, but they want people to have fun at their venue. In my opinion they should still forbid phones and make sure that people are entertained otherwise. Live DJs, personal trainers who have time for a chat and are genuinely interested in your progress, a lively juice bar with yummy protein shakes and daily specials… I think that there is quite some ways to make a gym enjoyable. But most importantly people should understand that if they want to get results and cut that gym visit short, they should leave their phone in the locker room and concentrate on their body for 45 minutes. I know it is wishful thinking but my boyfriend Kerem stopped taking it and he says he is so happy about it now. So please give it a try!