Franchise hopes to prevent smartphone injuries

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Stacey Fousse

As smartphones become a greater part of everyday life, people from around the country have been experiencing the ramifications of overuse. Because the technology has existed for such a relatively short time, some workout franchises have gone out of their way to help those affected by new conditions.

With that in mind, Gold's Gym has launched the "Are You Fit Enough For Your Own Phone?" campaign. The franchise has gone out of its way to formulate exercises to combat phone-use fatigue. The chain has enlisted some of its in-house experts to study the risks and keep fingers and thumbs in good condition, in its latest franchising venture.

"With the rise of smartphones comes a rise of repetitive stress injuries," said Dr. Eric Plasker, chiropractor and member of the Gold's Gym Fitness Institute. "In addition to over-stressing our thumbs and fingers, many people are keeping their elbows and necks bent for much longer than they should. The result is new conditions that were non-existent just 10 years ago, like 'BlackBerry Thumb,' 'Network Neck' and Cell Phone Elbow, or 'Cell-bow.'"

Gold's Gym was also in the news recently after it announced that it was giving customers Thanksgiving-inspired workout routines. The franchise is hoping to give customers the chance to work off some of the weight gained during the holiday season.