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AI takes backseat as Apple unveils software revamp and new apps | Apple

Apple’s artificial intelligence features took a backseat on Monday at its latest annual Worldwide Developers Conference. The company announced a revamped software design called Liquid Glass, new phone and camera apps as well as new features on Apple Watch and Vision Pro. But in spite of pressure to compete with firms that have gone all-in […]

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Apple’s artificial intelligence features took a backseat on Monday at its latest annual Worldwide Developers Conference. The company announced a revamped software design called Liquid Glass, new phone and camera apps as well as new features on Apple Watch and Vision Pro. But in spite of pressure to compete with firms that have gone all-in on AI, Apple’s AI announcements were limited to incremental features and upgrades.

Users will have a few new Apple Intelligence-powered features to look forward to including live translation, a real-time language translation feature that will be integrated into messages, FaceTime and the Phone app. The Android operating system has offered a similar feature for several years. Apple also introduced a new fitness app called Workout Buddy, which uses an AI-generated voice to speak to you during your workouts.

Consumers might soon notice some AI improvements to the non-Apple apps on their phone as well. The company said it was enabling app developers to tap into Apple’s on-device large language model to improve their experience with AI features within third-party apps. Consumers will be able to choose whether they want their data or information shared off-device and with the developers.

At last year’s WWDC, Apple announced a suite of AI upgrades to Siri that were intended to make the virtual assistant more personable and dynamic. Many of those features have yet to be released in spite of specific commitments from Apple.

“This work needed more time to reach our high-quality bar,” Craig Federighi, Apple’s vice president of software engineering, previously said of the delay.

The silence on Siri was “deafening”, wrote Forrester’s VP principal analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee.

“The topic was swiftly brushed aside to some indeterminate time next year. Apple continues to tweak its Apple Intelligence features, but no amount of text corrections or cute emojis can fill the yawning void of an intuitive, interactive AI experience,” Chatterjee wrote. “The end of the Siri runway is coming up fast, and Apple needs to lift off.”

Apple also announced a partnership with ChatGPT, a play to help the iPhone-maker catch up OpenAI, Microsoft and Google in the AI race. Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said he expects Apple may need to forge more relationships with outside players to catch up with its competitors.

“Overall, WWDC laid out the vision for developers but was void of any major Apple Intelligence progress as Cupertino is playing it safe and close to the vest after the missteps last year,” Ives said.

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“We get the strategy but this is a big year ahead for Apple to monetize on the AI front, as ultimately Cook and co may be forced into doing some bigger AI acquisitions to jumpstart this AI strategy.”



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Google Pixel Watch vs Fitbit: I tried both to find the best

A few years ago, Google bought Fitbit and began integrating the fitness tracking technology into its own devices, offering better health monitoring in a Pixel design. The Google Pixel Watch 3 is the latest in the collaboration, released only last year. However, Fitbit didn’t go out of production when it was bought out. The Fitbit […]

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A few years ago, Google bought Fitbit and began integrating the fitness tracking technology into its own devices, offering better health monitoring in a Pixel design. The Google Pixel Watch 3 is the latest in the collaboration, released only last year.

However, Fitbit didn’t go out of production when it was bought out. The Fitbit Charge 6, which I found to be the best Fitbit overall in my guide, was released only a year before the Pixel Watch 3.



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Andrea Bargnani invests in social basketball app

* * * * * You can’t have a discussion about sports technology today without including athletes in that conversation. Their partnerships, investments and endorsements help fuel the space – they have emerged as major stakeholders in the sports tech ecosystem. The Athlete’s Voice series highlights the athletes leading the way and the projects and […]

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* * * * *

You can’t have a discussion about sports technology today without including athletes in that conversation. Their partnerships, investments and endorsements help fuel the space – they have emerged as major stakeholders in the sports tech ecosystem. The Athlete’s Voice series highlights the athletes leading the way and the projects and products they’re putting their influence behind.

* * * * *

NBA 2006 No. 1 overall pick Andrea Bargnani played 10 years in the NBA — mostly with the Raptors but also with the Knicks and Nets — before finishing his pro career in Spain. Since retiring, Bargnani has returned to his native Italy and has been an active investor. Most recently, the 39-year-old made his first sports tech investment in Pick-Roll, a social basketball app that connects players seeking to join pickup games and find community around a shared love of the sport.

On the appeal of joining Pick-Roll:

I’ve been very active in the private equity, venture capital world in the last few years. So when I got in touch with Pick-Roll, I immediately liked the fact that it meets the most basic need of every basketball player, which is to find the nearest playground and organize a pickup ball game. It sounds pretty, pretty simple, but it can be very challenging at times. And there are millions of basketball players out there, so I think the idea is very scalable in the future.

That’s how I started playing basketball anyway, because you always start at the playground with your own friends, and that kind of community, that kind of culture, is something that is pretty precious for, I think, every basketball player that come closer to the game. So that’s how we started, and now it’s evolving into more of a community platform where basketball players can connect to each other all around Europe and around the world, eventually.

On how he would have used the app as a younger player:

Looking for basketball courts in Italy, or Europe overall — you don’t have this kind of problem in the US — you never know in what kind of shape the playground is. In the U.S. especially in New York, I was living by in Tribeca, so by the river, every basketball court is perfect. It looks brand new. So you already know that you can go there, and it’s a world-class playground.

In Italy, you never know how the playground looks. The idea of connecting to the app and learning if you’ve got the net, if the rim is straight, it’s broken, the board is installed in the right way, the concrete is without holes. So all this kind of information are pretty precious for European basketball players that go to the playground.

On its expansion to the US:

Obviously the US is a huge market, one of the sexiest markets in the world, basketball-wise. For us now, we’ve been doing a campaign in strategic cities and strategic countries. For example, we just finished a campaign in the Philippines, which is a huge market for us, because together with the United States and Lithuania, maybe these three countries, basketball is the No. 1 sport. So we are doing different campaigns in different cities to see how the people react, and so far, the feedback is great. We’re drawing a lot of attention, and the users are growing very fast. We need big shoulders to approach the US market, but eventually that’s the end goal.

On his interest in tech:

I was always fascinated by the tech world. I had never invested directly in a sport tech venture, so this is the first investment sport tech-wise. But I was always fascinating by the by the tech world. The NBA is going — or sport in general — toward that direction, retrieving a lot of data, working on the data, analyzing the data already.

In my last years, every player was wearing the pod, or however you want to call [the sensor] on the back to keep track of every movement you make, to understand if you’re tired, if you’re injury-prone. Now I see in every practice facility, they have the shooting machine [Noah]. They analyze the arc of your shot. The technology is playing a huge role, maybe even too big a role, in every aspect of our life. But that’s where we are going is. It is exciting and undeniable.

On the growth of basketball in Europe:

It has changed a lot, obviously. The NBA keeps expanding. They exactly know what they’re doing. They exactly know where they’re going. I’m very happy about that, as a former NBA player, and for basketball overall, because it’s becoming more and more an international game, so more and more people are getting closer to the game. Also, the 3×3 basketball project is growing a lot. It’s an Olympic sport. FIBA is pushing it a lot. The FIBA 3×3 World Tour is pretty something, if you look at the cities where they’re playing.

On the possibility of an NBA-backed league in Europe:

Obviously you hear that more and more often. Ideally, that’s amazing. Obviously everybody that thinks about that tries to figure out how the logistics would work about that — travel-wise and everything else — but it’s fascinating and it would be amazing. I don’t think we’re going to see that next year or the day after that. It takes a little more time, definitely, because the cultures are so different. The way people love sport in Europe is so different. The way people love the sport overall, in the U.S., is different.



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One&Only Palmilla Joins Erewhon’s Lifestyle Collective

From Temazcal ceremonies to sunrise yoga, the Erewhon-exclusive getaway offers immersive wellness experiences at one of Mexico’s top luxury resorts for Lifestyle Collective members One&Only Palmilla, a luxe beachfront resort in Los Cabos, is tapping into Erewhon’s wellness-savvy fanbase through a new partnership with the grocer’s growing members-only Lifestyle Collective. Starting today, Erewhon Lifestyle Collective […]

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From Temazcal ceremonies to sunrise yoga, the Erewhon-exclusive getaway offers immersive wellness experiences at one of Mexico’s top luxury resorts for Lifestyle Collective members

One&Only Palmilla, a luxe beachfront resort in Los Cabos, is tapping into Erewhon’s wellness-savvy fanbase through a new partnership with the grocer’s growing members-only Lifestyle Collective.

Starting today, Erewhon Lifestyle Collective members can access a wellness-forward travel package that blends holistic healing with high-end hospitality. Dubbed the “Baja Wellness Escape,” the limited-time experience features cold-pressed juices, spa credits, personalized rituals and access to the resort’s curated fitness programs.

The deal marks One&Only Palmilla’s entry into Erewhon’s collection of brands spanning fitness, wellness, beauty tech, activewear and even Prenuvo full-body scans. For Erewhon, the partnership builds on its existing wellness travel offerings, bringing health-oriented escapes to members beyond the aisles of its Southern California stores.

Guests booking the Erewhon-exclusive escape can also access the One&Only Spa and participate in some of the top wellness travel trends, such as full moon meditations, Temazcal ceremonies, sunrise yoga and personalized wellness consultations.

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Sports Equipment Market Poised for Significant Growth,

Sports Equipment Market The global sports equipment market is undergoing significant expansion as more people embrace physical fitness, recreational activities, and professional sports. This surge in demand is being driven by an increasing awareness of the importance of physical well-being and an active lifestyle, combined with innovations in technology and equipment design. The market is […]

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Sports Equipment Market

Sports Equipment Market

The global sports equipment market is undergoing significant expansion as more people embrace physical fitness, recreational activities, and professional sports. This surge in demand is being driven by an increasing awareness of the importance of physical well-being and an active lifestyle, combined with innovations in technology and equipment design. The market is expected to continue its growth trajectory, with a projected value of US$ 178,508.2 million by 2033, reflecting the growing consumer interest in sports and fitness.

From traditional sporting goods like basketballs and soccer balls to modern innovations like smart fitness gear and wearable technologies, the sports equipment market is evolving. As more consumers seek high-quality, durable, and performance-enhancing gear, businesses are introducing advanced products that meet both functional and aesthetic needs. This article dives deep into the various factors shaping the future of the sports equipment market, including the key drivers, regional dynamics, and growth opportunities that will shape the industry.

Elevate your business with comprehensive market data. Request a sample report now: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/2794

✅ Overview of the Market, Market Statistics, Key Growth Drivers, and Leading Segment

The sports equipment market is experiencing a period of remarkable growth, driven by an increasing focus on fitness, health, and well-being across the globe. This market includes a wide variety of equipment, ranging from exercise machines to outdoor recreational gear, team sports equipment, and individual sport items. These products are used by individuals of all ages and skill levels, including professional athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and recreational players.

As of the latest projections, the sports equipment market is expected to grow to a value of US$ 178,508.2 million by 2033, signaling a robust market expansion. Factors contributing to this growth include rising disposable incomes, increasing urbanization, and the growing trend of fitness and health awareness, especially in developed regions. Innovations such as smart sports equipment and high-tech fitness gear are also driving the market, as consumers increasingly seek performance-enhancing solutions for both professional and recreational sports.

✅ Key Highlights from the Report:

➤ The sports equipment market is projected to reach US$ 178,508.2 million by 2033.

➤ The market growth is driven by the increasing trend of fitness and physical activity among individuals of all ages.

➤ Smart sports equipment and wearable technologies are gaining significant traction.

➤ The rise of e-commerce platforms has made sports equipment more accessible globally.

➤ Demand for personalized sports equipment and gear is on the rise, particularly in team sports and individual activities.

➤ The Asia-Pacific region is expected to lead the market due to the increasing adoption of sports activities and improving economic conditions.

📊 Market Segmentation

The sports equipment market can be segmented across various dimensions, including product type, end-user, and distribution channels.

By Product Type:

The market consists of several categories of products, including team sports equipment, individual sport equipment, fitness equipment, and outdoor recreation gear. Among these, fitness equipment has witnessed the most significant growth, as consumers become increasingly health-conscious and seek solutions to exercise at home or in gyms. Outdoor recreation gear, such as camping equipment, bicycles, and fishing gear, is also experiencing rising demand, especially in regions with access to natural landscapes.

By End-User:

The end-users of sports equipment can be divided into two major categories: individuals and institutions. Individual consumers, including both amateur and professional athletes, are increasingly purchasing sports equipment for personal use. This includes fitness enthusiasts looking for home gym solutions and recreational players seeking quality gear for their favorite sports. Institutions, such as schools, sports clubs, and professional teams, represent a large portion of the demand, requiring bulk orders of specific sporting goods to support training, competitions, and events.

📊 Regional Insights

The Asia-Pacific region is poised to dominate the sports equipment market, primarily due to rapid urbanization, improving economic conditions, and a growing middle class with higher disposable income. As more people in countries like China, India, and Japan engage in fitness and recreational activities, the demand for sports equipment is skyrocketing. Additionally, the growing popularity of cricket, badminton, and other regional sports is contributing to the increase in market size within these countries.

In North America and Europe, the market is also experiencing substantial growth, driven by a high level of sports participation, the rise in fitness culture, and increasing awareness of health and wellness. These regions have seen a surge in demand for home fitness equipment and high-performance sports gear, especially as COVID-19 led to more people seeking alternatives to gym memberships. Moreover, smart sports equipment is gaining popularity in these regions, with consumers looking for gear that tracks performance metrics and integrates with fitness apps.

✅ Market Drivers

There are several key factors driving the growth of the sports equipment market:

Rising Health Consciousness: As more individuals become aware of the importance of physical fitness and overall health, they are increasingly investing in sports equipment to enhance their workout routines. The growing trend of fitness tracking, home workouts, and active lifestyles is contributing to the demand for a variety of sports gear.

Technological Advancements: The integration of smart technology in sports equipment is another significant driver. From fitness trackers and smart shoes to connected exercise machines, consumers are gravitating toward high-tech equipment that enhances their performance and provides real-time data on their fitness levels.

Increasing Popularity of Outdoor Activities: As outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, and camping gain popularity, the demand for recreational sports gear is also increasing. This is particularly noticeable in regions with abundant natural spaces and favorable climates, where outdoor activities are an integral part of life.

Sports Professionalization: The growing professionalization of sports worldwide, especially in emerging markets, is contributing to the increasing demand for high-quality and specialized sports equipment. As professional athletes continue to raise the standards of performance, sports gear manufacturers are creating products that meet the needs of elite athletes.

✅ Market Restraints

While the sports equipment market is experiencing robust growth, several challenges could impact its progress:

High Cost of Premium Equipment: High-quality sports gear, especially fitness equipment and professional-grade gear, often comes with a hefty price tag. The cost factor can limit access to premium products, especially in emerging markets where consumers may prioritize affordability over quality.

Saturation in Developed Markets: In developed regions like North America and Europe, the sports equipment market is nearing saturation. Most consumers in these regions already own the essential gear for sports and fitness, which could slow the growth rate unless manufacturers introduce innovative or specialized products to attract new customers.

Counterfeit Products: The market is facing a growing problem with counterfeit sports equipment, especially for high-end brands. These knock-off products not only hurt the reputation of established brands but also pose potential safety risks to users.

✅ Market Opportunities

The sports equipment market presents several opportunities for growth:

Customization Trends: As personalization continues to gain popularity, there is significant demand for customized sports equipment, particularly in team sports. From custom-branded apparel to personalized gear, manufacturers can tap into this niche market to enhance customer loyalty and brand differentiation.

Sustainability Focus: Consumers are increasingly seeking environmentally friendly products, and this trend extends to the sports equipment market. Manufacturers can capitalize on this by offering sustainable products, such as eco-friendly materials, recyclable packaging, and low-carbon footprint production processes.

Expansion in Emerging Markets: Emerging economies, particularly in Asia-Pacific and Latin America, are witnessing rapid urbanization and increased participation in sports and fitness. Brands can expand into these regions to tap into new customer bases and capture market share.

Do You Have Any Query Or Specific Requirement? Request Customization of Report: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/request-customization/2794

✅ Reasons to Buy the Report:

✔️ Comprehensive analysis of the sports equipment market, with a focus on market size, growth, and future trends.

✔️ Insight into key drivers, restraints, and opportunities shaping the market landscape.

✔️ Detailed segmentation based on product types, end-users, and regions.

✔️ Overview of smart sports equipment and wearable technology that are shaping the future of the industry.

✔️ In-depth regional analysis, highlighting key growth areas in Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe.

📌 Key Players

✦ Nike Inc.

✦ Adidas AG

✦ Under Armour Inc.

✦ Reebok

✦ Puma SE

■ Nike continues to lead the market with its innovative and high-performance sports gear.

■ Adidas has launched a new line of sustainable sports equipment made from recycled materials, reflecting its commitment to the environment.

The sports equipment market is on a strong growth path, driven by key factors such as health consciousness, technological advancements, and expanding consumer interest in fitness. As the market evolves, there are significant opportunities for businesses to tap into emerging trends and regional dynamics, ensuring a promising future for the industry.

☎️ Contact Us:

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Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com

Web: https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com

About Persistence Market Research:

At Persistence Market Research, we specialize in creating research studies that serve as strategic tools for driving business growth. Established as a proprietary firm in 2012, we have evolved into a registered company in England and Wales in 2023 under the name Persistence Research & Consultancy Services Ltd. With a solid foundation, we have completed over 3600 custom and syndicate market research projects, and delivered more than 2700 projects for other leading market research companies’ clients.

Our approach combines traditional market research methods with modern tools to offer comprehensive research solutions. With a decade of experience, we pride ourselves on deriving actionable insights from data to help businesses stay ahead of the competition. Our client base spans multinational corporations, leading consulting firms, investment funds, and government departments. A significant portion of our sales comes from repeat clients, a testament to the value and trust we’ve built over the years.

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LeBron James Backs Matthew Berry’s Fantasy Startup Guillotine League

Matthew Berry’s Fantasy Life wants football fans to play a new version of fantasy sports this season. It has added $7 million from big name investors as part of the push.  The money supports the launch of a new Guillotine League platform, after Fantasy Life acquired IP and platform infrastructure related to the fantasy football […]

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Matthew Berry’s Fantasy Life wants football fans to play a new version of fantasy sports this season. It has added $7 million from big name investors as part of the push. 

The money supports the launch of a new Guillotine League platform, after Fantasy Life acquired IP and platform infrastructure related to the fantasy football format that sees the worst-performing team each week eliminated—and their players tossed back into the free agency pool. A total of 18 teams is whittled down to one over the course of a season (with smaller leagues also created midseason).

“My mission in life is to make sure every man, woman and child plays Guillotine League,” Berry said in an interview. “Because I have to tell you, once you play it, we’ve got you. It is the most addicting game in the world…  The first year I played Guillotine League, I loved it so much I bought the company.”

LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s LRMR Ventures led the funding round along with Jason Stein’s SC Holdings. Eberg Capital, the private equity firm founded by sports venture capital investor Roger Ehrenberg, and the family office of Philadelphia 76ers owner David Blitzer joined the round. So did RedBird Capital founder Gerry Cardinale, YouTube cofounder Chad Hurley, Wasserman Ventures, AEW founder and president Tony Khan, EGOT winner John Legend, former Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Fortnite co-creator Donald Mustard.

Fantasy Life is investing in tech development as it expands from being a media company providing advice to fantasy players to also becoming a tech company offering its own game. More than 500,000 email subscribers receive the company’s daily newsletter, while Fantasy Life has also licensed content to platforms including Roku and Fubo and partnered with NBC Sports to expand the reach of its content and insights. A Guillotine League-focused app is now available.

“What made us a unique value prop in the marketplace to investors is the opportunity to own the complete user journey,” Fantasy Life CEO Eliot Crist said. “To have a media company where you bring people in around the content, you can convert them to premium tools, but you can also move them to a game where you own that platform.”

Even with the focus on the new format, Fantasy Life maintains its relationship with DraftKings, where James is an endorser as well. LRMR Ventures also participated in Fantasy Life’s 2023 fundraise. 

“We’re trying to create a 360-degree flywheel for the consumer, where a fantasy football player can come to us for every step of the journey,” Berry said. 

Berry also has his eyes on increasingly personalized content, moving from general waiver wire picks to advice tailored to a user’s individual team and league. Fantasy Life has 25 full-time employees three years after launching, with Berry continuing to serve as an analyst at NBC Sports as well as the startup’s founder.  



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Adult tummy time can reduce ‘tech neck,’ but exercise is better

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Key takeaways:

  • Tummy time for adults is an increasingly popular way to reduce the pain and soreness associated with “tech neck.”
  • This is a good stopgap, an expert said, but exercise is a better solution.

There may be a unique solution for patients struggling with neck pain caused by chronic technology use, according to an expert.

As Harmony Healthcare IT recently revealed from a survey including more than 1,000 people in the United States, screen time is up 14% from last year. Americans are now spending an average of 5 hours and 16 minutes per day on their phones, according to the results.



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Notably, the younger the respondent was, the more screen time they were likely to use: baby boomers were on their phones for an average of 4 hours and 19 minutes per day, but members of Generation Z used their phones for about 6 hours and 27 minutes per day.

This chronic technology use can create orthopedic issues — namely, tech neck, according to the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB). Although “tech neck” is not an officially recognized medical term, the impact can be very real. Correct posture is the equivalent of lifting 10 to 12 pounds, but tilting your neck just 15° forward makes it like lifting 27 pounds. The further the head drops, the larger the burden: tilting your head 60° forward is the equivalent of lifting 60 pounds with your neck, according to UAB.

Regularly keeping the head and neck tilted forward can lead to back, shoulder and neck pain; limited upper body mobility; tension headaches; body aches; rounded shoulders and even migraines, according to UAB.

Healio spoke with Rahul Shah, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Premier Orthopaedic Associates, to learn more about tech neck and how interventions like adult tummy time can make a difference for patients.

Healio: Can you explain “tech neck” and “adult tummy time?”

Shah: When you are looking at your devices, you are typically in a position where you’re basically stooping down and craning your neck forward. Instead of the head being level over the shoulders, which are then level over the pelvis — like when we stand or walk — when you’re looking down at this device, you’re tilting your chin down. That tends to lead to fatigue of the neck muscles in the back and the upper shoulder muscles, because they’re basically in a tug of war where your eyes and your attention are forcing you to crane down and the rest of your body wants to bring your head back over the shoulders.

That fundamental tug of war can result in an imbalance and cause neck aches and things of that nature. Now, as we’re younger, we’re able to accommodate that posture more easily and work around it. But as we start to get a little bit older, or as we start to get more involved in our jobs and these periods of time last longer, we sometimes have difficulty with the neck ache causing more problems.

The challenge going forward is how do we address this? We’ve come up with different ideas. One of the things that seems to be getting a little bit more popular, especially in the social media world, is to say, “Well, if you’re craning your neck forward and looking down all the time, what’s the opposite of that? Why not just get on your belly and have your head rest in that manner so it kind of relieves the neck?”

There’s a lot of common sense behind that. But the reality is, is that the right fit for you or me? Individually, what’s the scenario and how do we judge that? There are no real parameters around how far we’re craning when we’re looking forward with our tech neck, and no real parameters about how much we should be relaxing the neck or how much time we should be spending on our bellies for adult tummy time. It’s good to understand what’s going on fundamentally at the time of the neck ache — which is occurring from our neck being stretched forward or strained or craned forward — and what we can do to get around it.

The reality is, the muscles in the back of the neck and the shoulders have to be activated so that they can have enough blood flow going to them so that they’re able to assume their natural posture and alleviate that craned area. In my experience, this is better achieved from more active scenarios, like doing isometric neck exercises where you push your head forward with your palm, over your forehead, back of the head, then over the right ear, and then over the left ear to activate the blood flow into the back of the neck so that the head is in a more comfortable position and finds its own sweet spot as to where the muscles can handle it.

A second option is to increase your aerobic activity. In general, going for a walk — potentially doing any type of zone two cardio activity — should help increase the blood flow all throughout the body, including those big muscles that are behind the shoulders, behind the shoulder blades, into the neck and into the lateral muscles. That will then help to improve your posture and keep your head centered over your shoulders and your pelvis, increasing the natural position of the muscles, so there’s less fatigue on those muscles. You’re not craning them as much.

If you have been craning your neck for some time and you want to go onto your belly or to try to cradle the head by laying down, it’s reasonable, but I don’t think it’s a cure all kind of scenario. Let’s say you have X amount of time for being on a tech neck, should you then have Y amount of time to counteract it being on your tummy? I don’t think that’s a very good trade-off. I think a better trade-off is if you find that being in a prolonged position with your neck gives you a neck ache, you should do some increasing activities to try and drive the blood flow to the muscles.

Healio: Why are these important concepts for primary care providers to know about?

Shah: Up to 30% to 40% of visits that a primary care provider sees every year are because of some type of back or neck ache, so this is very common. If you’re seeing 25 or 30 patients in a day, and a good portion of them have this type of problem, you want to know about what’s happening to try to drive that concern.

And patients all manifest with different types of aches. Some have a tech neck and an ache that occurs from their shoulder blades. With neck pain, some of them come with the inner half of shoulder blade pain. Some people can have difficulty with the front of their neck. These myriad problems can potentially be addressed by looking at these different solutions that we’ve talked about.

In addition, when anybody comes in — because nobody gets a doctor’s appointment within 5 minutes of when they book it — everybody’s going to go online and look at where things are. And now that there are many more suggestions — like tummy time — that are generated on the web that sound very good, it’s very important for a PCP to know about these because these trends may be potentially helping or they may be potentially harming. Understanding that context allows a PCP to give the best context-laden solution to be able to meet whoever they’re taking care of on their journey, to help them at their specific moment in time.

Healio: What benefits does adult tummy time offer? Does this actually work for adults?

Shah: That’s a very good question, but a very difficult question to answer. I think in general, it can give you some reprieve of your neck ache, especially when you have a significant amount of time where you’ve basically overdone it and all the muscles in the neck are either significantly stiff or have problems. It’s a good way to try to stop the irritation of the muscles. However, it may not be enough to fully augment or fully restore someone to having a pain-free situation.

If you lean into just doing adult tummy time, that may not be the best solution. And, in fact, you may have to go from having tech neck, where you have neck ache and have a stiff neck, to shoulder blades pinching in the neck. And then you can, from there, start to walk around as much as you can to increase the blood flow to the muscles in the neck. Because, at the end of the day, that is likely the most effective immediate solution that you can get while you’re understanding and trying to get additional treatment with your PCP or with additional physical therapy or chiropractic care.

Healio: What are some ways to fix posture and prevent tech neck?

Shah: There are so many different ways that we irritate our necks. I think that the go-to would be to try to take breaks so you’re not overloading the neck. Setting a timer to help yourself with those scenarios is sometimes helpful, just so that you’re not in one activity for a prolonged period.

However, let’s say you’re a coder, or you’re doing something where you need to be locked in. You need to be in that tunnel of really getting everything done and, honestly, interrupting yourself with breaks is not a viable solution. In that scenario, getting something where you’re not craning your neck is a good idea. Using stand-up desks, elevating someone’s chair, making sure that they’re not tipping their neck too much more than 15° when they’re looking down — those are all reasonable places to start.

Once that’s done, it’s a good idea before you get started to go for a walk to really increase that activity of the blood flow to those muscles — maybe doing some isometric exercises. And then afterward, have some type of cool down period. Those are all things that you can do to try and help yourself without necessarily changing what you do or changing the output of the work that you do.

Healio: What is the take-home message for PCPs here? What should they be telling patients?

Shah: First of all, you’re not alone. This happens to a lot of people, and we have some pretty good ideas on how to get started. Tech neck is something that you should be aware of, and something that you should be paying attention to.

Our go-to solution here is to modify your exposure of putting the device in a bad position where you’re craning or overloading your neck. You want the skills of what your neck can handle to be well tailored to the challenges of where that device is. So, alter that dynamic, if you can, and then focus on increasing the neck health — or the muscles around the neck — to get them better by doing aerobic activity, increasing the muscle strength around them with the isometric exercises and work in that area. Though tummy time is an option, it’s more of a sort of stopgap scenario as compared with something that you should be doing all the time.

For more information:

Rahul Shah, MD, can be reached at info@poasnj.com.

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