Hey Everyone, its Jon Jung of the Jungle from Jungle Fitness, #1 Personal Trainers in Orange County. Today you will see how we relate technology as we know today to health and fitness.
We all face different kinds of battles. Battles between friends, family, or even co-workers, however the battle between yourself debating to work out, to play a little bit more on that computer, or to get an iPhone even if you have no use for it can be stressful.
Q1. Understanding how obesity has passed over United States, is it safe to say technology has done more harm than good to Americans?
JFIT: Not exactly. Generalizing technology itself, no. Everyone in this world depends on some sort of technological invention, be it a computer, cell (i)Phone, TV, or even credit cards. Our nation has revolved itself around this network, that if something were to happen to ALL computers, cell (i)Phones, TV’s, or credit cards, most people would be confused and not know what to do or lost. However, if we’re talking about video games, or games in general that keep us occupied of our time, such as apps on the iPhone/Touch, board games, and/or cards, then it’s better to say that it creates a more lazy atmosphere and opens up a larger opportunity to lose concentration on other major priorities. Finally, technology is an important part of our daily lives, hardly any of us can live without it.
Q2. Since the arrival of the iTouch, then the iPhone, and now the iPad, will it affect our health?
JFIT: They will not directly harm your health, as all games will not directly affect you. However, indirectly the iPad or anything “i”, may cause you to become too distracted with what you should be doing. Staying up till late playing video games and forgetting to do your work is affecting both your life itself and your health. The iTouch/iPhone can be a huge time waster with all the different kinds of applications on it. Although there are several applications that are fun and user friendly to use, that are used to measure calorie loss and other neat health related applications. The iPad itself is like a mini notebook, that can be used as a giant iTouch/iPhone, but is a computer too. However, sooner or later there will be other fitness exercises that are capable from a technological source, such as the Wii. In the end everything is fine with moderation. Knowing when to do what, and at what time of the day to do them.
Q3. How does Jungle Fitness associate themselves with technological fun and health/fitness?
JFIT: We of Jungle Fitness love to once in a while watch a movie, go out on vacation, or just play some games with relatives at home. There are times when you know it’s time to have fun, and there are times when you have to work. There’s a place and time to do everything. A lot of people say that people get fat by sitting and watching TV, when it’s not just that, but the accumulative days of that routine plus incorrect eating habits. The more sedentary you are, the slower your metabolism becomes. We’re born to look sexy and healthy, but in order to maintain that state, it is of utmost importance to work out and eat healthy. It is okay to order a large popcorn from a movie theater with extra butter, but know that you’ll have to work out that much harder.
Q4. What do you expect to come of America and its problems with obesity and diabetes from poor eating habits and poor fitness routines?
JFIT: Each and everyone should work out to keep their body in tip top condition. The key is to work out more and burn more calories than the food you eat to lose weight and vise versa. Many people that eat the way they do and don’t exercise, suffer the consequences. I feel that hopefully in the future ahead of us, there will be some technological change to integrate exercise into the daily routines of young teens across the world. Like the Wii, make exercise even more fun, that when they get old enough, they could work out at an actual gym. As for EVERYONE, ONCE you SEE the RESULTS, you’ll NEVER EVER want to leave. It’s a proven fact that people love instant gratification, however there isn’t such a thing unless you’re a king for that matter. Everything takes time to get and achieve.
Q5. It seems you don’t think video games or technology harms us in any way, but studies show that they do, why?
JFIT: Don’t get me wrong, I’m basing everything as a priority. Everyone is going to want to listen to music, utilize a cell phone abilities for texting and conversation rather than meeting them in person, play video games, and to utilize the technology to get the faster way out no matter what we tell them. It’s human nature to disobey, and to do anyways unless dealt with a problem personally. Here is a study showing how teens do not get enough sleep due to video games and iPods:
Junk Sleep
We’ve all heard of junk food…but junk sleep? What is it?
Doctors say that the teens of today are wired all the time — to their iPods, game consoles ,computers and televisions — which make them so distracted, that they’re losing out on their forty winks. A recent survey by the Sleep Council in Britain found that 30 per cent of children between the ages of 12 to 16 get barely four to seven hours of shut eye a day. This is Junk Sleep - sleep that is of neither the length nor quality that it should be in order to feed the brain with the rest it needs to perform properly at school.
As a lifestyle choice, it is just as harmful as junk food. Think about it. It’s fall-outs are immense — exhaustion, moodiness and acne, but to more serious complaints like depression, decreased creativity, reduced socialization, poor performance, degraded immune functioning, aggressiveness and the inability to handle complex tasks. Left untreated, these symptoms could last well into adulthood. Like the symptoms of insomnia, in the long run, these could ruin grades, reduce educational options, damage self-esteem, stunt growth, encourage drug and alcohol use, and dramatically increase the likelihood of car accidents.
Dealing With a Junk Sleeper
Parents will just have to grit their teeth and get strict with their tech-dependant teens. Junk Sleeping is only a habit, not a permanent condition, and may be quite easily controlled. Some of the ways in which parents can ensure their teens get better sleep are –
By having strict turn off times for the TV and computer.
By eating dinner early – meals eaten too close to bedtime can also hamper sleep.
By encourage more exercise, especially in the evenings, for this enables deep sleep.
Cellphones!
According to a Swedish study, because of intense usage of cellphones, the present generation of teenagers runs the risk of becoming senile by middle age. A study by Finnish scientists reported 40 percent increase in the risk of developing brain tumor for those using cell phones for over ten years. They are likely to be affected on that side of the head where they held the phone to talk. Most scientists agree that children below the age of eight should not be allowed to use a cell phone.
(quoted: hubpages.com)
I hope these questions will help you understand the pros and cons of technology, but know that everything should be accounted for through moderation, even bad eating habits. Thanks for tuning in and following our Jungle Fitness Orange County Personal Trainer Blog. Stay tune for tomorrow, which is Work Out Wednesday! Have a great Wednesday, and make tomorrow an awesome, enjoyable, productive, and relaxing day. See you tomorrow. Signing out… Jon Jung of the Jungle! Jungle Out…
