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How many times today have you looked down on your phone like this? 50? 100? 200? 500 times? Then if we start multiplying that number with weeks and months you quickly see that we spend quite a lot of time in this bad position. 

I am just as bad as most people, but wanted to put focus on something that is becoming an increasing problem in the whole population. For many years therapists talked about the so called "office shoulder" posture with rounded shoulders and upper back. This is still a huge problem in the desk based population, although I am convinced that the "mobile phone neck" will cause at least as much problems for people over the next years. The trouble is that kids down to 3-4 years old (or younger!!) are using mobile phones or ipads down on their laps and therefore adapt this awful posture from an early age. 

Our spine is an extremely amazing part of out body, it holds our body together and basically gives us the ability to move. The head is naturally supposed to sit fairly central on top of the head in an ideal world, although this if clearly not the case in the above photo. An average head weighs around 4.5 - 5 kg,  his might not sound like a lot, and our body is designed to handle this weight - providing the head sit on top of the spine lie it should do. The problem arises when you sit for prolonged time like the photo above - my head is way too far forward and therefore this posture puts a lot more added strain onto the shoulders and neck muscles. 

How often do you see people pounding miles and miles on the treadmill in the gym? Beginners as well as experienced runners will in about 80% of the time attack the roads or the treadmill in gyms in order to get “fitter”. As I have experienced first hand the effects too much running can have on your lower limbs (knees in particular), I can talk about this subject with a great deal of experience. I have also worked with a variety of runners; from the most hard core ultra distance runners, to triathletes and middle distance runners, and therefore come across some of the most common overuse injuries on a weekly basis for many years now. 

Why is it that so many people think it is okay to start running without doing any form for strength training first or at least alongside their running training? How long do you think your joints will be able to cope without giving you any pain or discomfort? If you are lucky and have a good running technique,minimal biomechanical disadvantages, appropriate footwear, perform a good warm up etc. you might be one of the lucky ones, and actually be able to keep running for years without suffering any pain or problems, but in a lot of cases injuries to ankles, knees, hips and back might come creeping in.