Does EMF radiation have an impact on exercise?
At WaveBlock®, we are all about making lab-tested and patented technology that keeps you and your family safe. We create easy-to-use and affordable stickers that protect people from the electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation that is emitted from wireless earbuds, cell phones, laptops, and tablets.
Through many, many hours of research and testing, we have witnessed firsthand just how much radiation you are being exposed to and the long-term implications of consistent EMF exposure. Because of that, the WaveBlock® team also takes pride in educating people around the world about the potential dangers of radiation exposure from technology.
In this article, we want to talk about the relationship between exercise and EMF radiation exposure. We will talk about how EMFs can affect exercise, how working out can actually help you decrease the negative effects of radiation, and how you can safely workout with/without technology.
The WaveBlock® team knows that fitness can have so many positive impacts on human beings. Our founder even spent time testing out our WaveBlock® stickers while mountain biking! But as the digital world constantly evolves, there has been a massive increase in technology in the fitness space. The long-term implications of EMF exposure from devices like fitness trackers and wireless earbuds are cause for concern, according to several experts and researchers.
Although the radiation from cell phones or Bluetooth devices is less than the exposure you get from things like x-rays, there’s significant research to show that prolonged contact with EMFs can affect your physical well-being.
HOW EMF RADIATION EXPOSURE CAN AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO EXERCISE
Let’s remember that exercising is supposed to be a time to escape, do good for your body, and release toxins. What you may not know is that the level of EMF pollution in our environment (5G, cell towers, Wi-Fi routers, etc) and the constant attachment to our devices may be decreasing our athletic performance or our desire to work out at all.
The National Sleep Foundation found that 25% of people who feel sleepy at least one day a week, won’t exercise. That number jumps drastically the more days without good sleep, as 64% of people skip work outs when feeling sleepy 5 to 7 days a week.
Consistent EMF exposure can cause hormonal shifts, cell damage, cognitive issues, and sleep issues. All of these problems can reduce your ability to get in a good workout. According to a study in the National Library of Medicine, there is research to show that increased radiation exposure results in oxidative stress to tissues in the body and increases free radicals in the body. The human body is equipped to fight a certain amount of free radicals, thanks to our immune and lymphatic systems. However, because EMF exposure heavily increases the number of free radicals, the damage they cause can be too much for our healing systems to handle.
There is good news, however. Exercise has the ability to reduce the harmful side effects of EMFs.
Exercise HAS THE ABILITY TO COUNTERACT THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF EMF RADIATION
As we mentioned at the top, exercising is good for you for a number of reasons. But did you know that it can help your body with the harmful side effects of EMF radiation?
A study from the National Library of Medicine concluded that exercise had the ability to benefit radiation exposure in the context of “DNA damage, antioxidant activity, inflammation, neurogenesis, cellular function, and clinical and functional outcomes.”
So how do we find the balance between the two? It’s incredibly important to make sure you are eating well and getting good sleep so that you can get the most out of your fitness routine. As tech consumers, we also have to be cognizant that the devices marketed to help us “workout better” may also be distracting us or causing harm to us.
That brings us to the current phenomenon of wearable fitness trackers.
THE MASSIVE RISE OF WEARABLE TECH - BLUETOOTH DEVICES AND FITNESS TRACKERS
Advances in technology have allowed people to workout smarter and harder. The WaveBlock® team is not trying to deny that better machines and smarter devices can bring a lot of benefit. However, between the cell phone you stare at for hours, the computer you use for work, and now the fitness trackers added to your wrists, we are exposing ourselves to a lot of radiation throughout our entire day.
Devices like Apple Watches and FitBits are marketed as the best thing for your health. Track your calories! Monitor your steps! Save your workout! But no one tells you that these devices are constantly emitting radiation up against your skin as they connect to cellular towers, Wi-Fi routers, and your other devices. Real-time feedback is great. But consistent EMF exposure is not.
So, what can you do? How can you decrease your exposure and still get a good workout in?
HOW TO AVOID EMF EXPOSURE WHILE EXERCISING
The WaveBlock® team knows that it’s unrealistic to expect people to workout without music playing or leave their phone at home while out for a run. We know that wearable technology is very beneficial to our healthy habits, but 24/7 use simply isn’t necessary. So here are some tips for how to workout in a way you want while decreasing EMF exposure.
- Remember that the more technology you’re using, the less focused you will probably be on actually getting a good workout in. We’ve all seen fitness influencers spend more time at the gym recording themselves in the mirror than working out. We’ve all gotten annoyed at the person texting on the machine you’re waiting to use. Some people spend more time caring about closing their Apple Watch rings than they do working out effectively or safely. Stay present during your workout. Use it as a tech break!
- Turn the Wi-Fi off on your Bluetooth devices when you aren’t using it. If you are set on working out with your phone or Apple Watch, turn off the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections when you can.
- Pre-download your playlist or podcast. Working out in silence is hard. You can pre-download your music or podcast so that you don’t need Wi-Fi or signal to listen to your favorite workout playlist.
- Use speakerphone when you can. If you aren’t at a public gym, try to listen to your music on speakerphone with the phone at a good distance from you.
- Try to exercise with your phone as far away from you as possible. Do not keep your phone in your sports bra or anywhere else directly touching skin. The closer you are to EMFs, the greater your radiation exposure.
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If you want to use a fitness tracker, be smart about it:
-Do your research: Certain fitness trackers emit less radiation than others.
-Don’t wear it 24/7: Try to take your tracker off during sleep or rest.
-Disable unnecessary functions: The more your device is doing, the more radiation it needs to emit. Turn off Bluetooth, GPS, tracking, and other features when you don’t need them.
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Use WaveBlock® products. If you want your phone close to you or you love using your wireless earbuds, we encourage you to do so. That’s why our company was created. Using these devices so close to your brain and skin can have several negative outcomes. Thankfully, our WaveBlock® stickers drastically decrease your radiation exposure and are easy to apply to your phone and earbuds. Don’t be tempted to buy products that claim to “block radiation.” There’s no such thing. Any product claiming to block 100% of radiation is a lie. Phones and wireless earbuds need radiation to work. That’s why we worked tirelessly to reduce as much of the radiation as we could while also making sure that your devices still function at 100%.
The reality is that tech companies aren’t going to promote that their devices have the potential to harm you in the long run. However, we now know that EMF radiation can directly impact our athletic performance, recovery, and overall health. It’s why over 250 scientists have signed The International EMF Scientist Appeal calling for better health warnings and stronger exposure limits.
The good news is that the more you know, the better you can protect yourself. We don’t want you to avoid technology altogether. There are so many benefits to all of these gadgets and devices. We do want you to have the products and knowledge to use them wisely.
Want to know more about our research or products? Please feel free to contact the WaveBlock® team with any questions you may have.
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