Rujuta Diwekar Tells How Using Gadgets Will Not Let You Achieve A Flat Tummy

We are all dependent on gadgets in our life for many things. Our daily basis of communication, organisation and work management is done with the help of gadgets alone. The current generation, specifically, is all about cell phones, laptops and music gadgets. And while the benefits and convenience that technology brings in our lives is unprecedented, there are some serious damages caused by it and they mustn't go unnoticed. Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, in one of her recent posts on Facebook, highlighted how we can rethink, reform and regulate the use of gadgets in your life.

She begins with mentioning about the weight of our head, and how it fluctuates when we tilt or bent it. She goes on to write that in a neutral position, our head weighs around 6kgs. But with at 15 degrees tilt, the head tends to weight almost double, that is, around 15 kgs. At 30 degrees tilt, the head weighs around 30 kgs and 60 degrees tilt, it weighs as much as 30 kgs.

This phenomenon has an impact on your shoulders, back and even the brain. Rujuta writes that in the slouching, read technology posture, that we sit in while using gadgets, it is quite impossible that achieve goals like flat stomach or narrow waist. For people suffering from diabetes, heart diseases or hormonal diseases like Polycystic Ovarian Disease or thyroid, sitting in the technology posture is even more harmful. It can have adverse impact on adrenal glands and our respiratory processes.

So, in order to help people achieve a strong back, flat stomach and a tall stance, she gives 3 guidelines which we all must follow:

1. Avoid using gadgets half an hour before going to bed. But this doesn't mean that you delay bed time for this. Read a book (not on kindle or any other gadget) and keep away your phone and laptop. Switch off your TV and give yourself a good night's sleep with only positive thoughts in your mind. 

2. Always keep in mind to check your posture whenever you are using your phone throughout the day. Instead of bending your neck down to look at the phone's screen, lift the phone up to your eye level and then use the phone. Not only will this reduce the amount of your phone usage. it will also maintain a proper posture. 

3. Avoid using gadgets when you are eating meals. You can begin with this practice by following it for 1 meal. You can do the same for all 3 meals in a day eventually in the next 10 weeks.

According to Rujuta, these guidelines will help us in achieving some of our highly desired fitness goals.

Apart from the aforementioned negative impacts, increased use of gadgets can lead to the following:

1. Aggression: Aggression is one of the most common side effects of being too much addicted to gadgets or using them in excess in a day.

2. Hearing problems: Experts say that excessive use of gadgets can also lead to hearing problems in the body. Listening to music which is 85 or above decibels can convert microscopic hair of the inner ears into scar tissues. This is a major health hazard caused by gadgets.

3. Stress: Using gadgets as a means of communication can cause stress. Waiting for an important call or a message can increase our stress levels which adversely impacts our health.

4. Sleep disorders: Increased use of gadgets is often associated with sleep disorders. This is the reason why children should not be given gadgets to play with, until they are of a certain age.

5. Cancer: Using gadgets makes you come closer to ionising radiation, which are capable of causing stomach, breast, skin and thyroid cancer to name a few.

6. Obesity: Leave alone flat stomach or slimmer waist, using too much gadgets can make us feel hungry and we end up binging on food, quite unknowingly.

7. Dry eyes: Continuous use of gadgets can cause itching in your eyes. Eyes are constantly straining when you are focusing on your mobile or laptop screens. This leads to dryness in the eye and various other eye infections.

8. Risks during pregnancy: The radiation released from gadgets can slower down brain development of the foetus and lead to hyperactivity. 

9. Infidelity: Being on the phone for more 18 hours in one day can reduce the production of sperms in males.

10. Back pains: Multiple back pains can be caused because of excessive use of gadgets in the sitting posture.