From the day we’re born, up until we’re about 22 years old, we spend most of our time looking down at the ground as we play, read, take tests and read some more. These early years are our bodies’ developmental years, the years our bodies grow and develop into young adults. As we move into adulthood, we continue the use of smart phones, tablets, ipads, video games, tv and spend numerous hours on our computers. How many hours do we spend on our computers, from the handheld to the desktop? Recent studies report that the average person spends about 10 hours and 39 minutes/day on the computer. In the past year, that number has increased 1 hour/day. Now, just think about this. What impact has this had on our health? Our eyesight? Our mental ability to communicate with others?
To answer the question we all have, how much screen time is recommended on a daily basis? Experts say that we should limit our screen time to 2 hours/day and the other time we would normally spend looking at the screen, we should devote to physical activity. For those kiddos and even the adults, the recommendation is to take a break every 20 minutes. Get up and get a drink of water or go outside and get some fresh air. Just get your eyes off the screen and do something physical.
There’s a Nobel Prize recipient by the name of Dr. Roger Sperry that found that “90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by the movement of the spine”.
This is a topic that can go on and on. We will discuss more about this issue in upcoming blogs.