Is Your Smarphone Helping or Hurting Your Fitness: Here's what you should know

We’ve all seen it—the person checking texts between sets, pulling up YouTube videos to show a gym buddy, or answering a call while sitting on a bench. Maybe you’ve done it too (no judgment!). Smartphones are basically our third hand at this point, and while they can be a powerful tool in fitness, they can also be a major roadblock to progress—especially if you’re using them during your workouts.

A recent review by researchers at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland looked closely at this issue and found some fascinating (and frankly, validating) insights on how phones impact performance in the gym. At Progressive Athletics, we’ve got our own perspective too, and while we agree that smartphones can be useful, we strongly believe that workouts are best spent unplugged, for reasons you may be surprised by.

Let’s dive into what the science says and how it aligns with our approach.

According to the article, one of the biggest ways smartphones impact fitness is through mental fatigue. Even just having your phone nearby—notifications buzzing, tempting apps a tap away—can drain your brainpower. The researchers noted that this mental fatigue doesn’t affect your muscles or cardiovascular system directly. It's much more subtle than that. It raises your perceived effort, which can make your workout feel harder than it actually is (Nicolaus Copernicus University).  If you've spend anytime training with a professional, you have heard of Rate of Perceived Effort. This is the scale on which you rate how difficult it is to lift a weight, complete a run, or perform a movement. This scale helps a trainer decide if you are working hard enough, or too hard to get the results that you want. This is especially important if you are working to get out of pain. So yes—scrolling Instagram for five minutes between sets might leave you feeling more tired without doing more work - and this will sabotage your progress.

🏋️‍♂️ Why That Matters for Strength Gains

As mentioned above, at Progressive Athletics, we know that training volume—how much total work you do—is key to building strength and muscle, healing tendons, and working your way out of pain. The research supports this too: when people are mentally fatigued from phone use, their training volume goes down. They do fewer reps, rest longer than needed, and their workouts lose momentum. This is especially true for low- to moderate-intensity training, where mental focus is critical.

That doesn’t mean your max strength disappears, but your ability to train effectively takes a hit. So if your goal is to get stronger or build endurance, or you're working through a program to heal a tendon or reduce pain, checking your phone during a workout could be holding you back.

🎧 What About Music?

Great question. Music can be a helpful tool during a workout—but there’s a big caveat.

Research shows that motivational, self-selected music can improve performance and mood. So, yes, music can be a smart use of your phone—but only if you're working out on your own (like in a box gym or at home) and can avoid the urge to check notifications or scroll social media in between sets.

At Progressive Athletics, our small group classes and personal training sessions are coach-led and immersive. That means phones stay off the training floor—not just to avoid distractions, but to help you be fully present and tuned into your body, your pain signals, your exertion levels, and your own emotions and thoughts.

🧘‍♀️ Presence Is Performance

One thing this particular study didn't cover—but we see every day—is how workouts offer a unique opportunity to connect with yourself. Without a phone in hand, you’re able to:

• Tune into how your body feels
• Monitor progress and discomfort
• Process stress and emotions
• Build endurance and tolerance for discomfort

You also practice something incredibly important in today’s connected world: setting boundaries. Boundaries are a muscle too, do when wait to reply to a text or call people learn to work around that boundary, rather than expecting you to be at their beck and call. When you commit to a 45-minute workout, you’re keeping a promise to yourself and teaching others that you have the right to take that time for yourself. Unless you drive an ambulance, chances are, nothing is so urgent it can’t wait.

📵 Our Recommendation at Progressive Athletics

At our haven of movement in Columbia, Maryland, we consider each session sacred so we strongly encourage our clients to put their phones away before stepping onto the training floor. And here’s why:

• In personal training or small group classes, using a phone (even for music) breaks the focus of the session, for others and yourself.
• Your body deserves your full attention—you’re not just lifting weights, you’re learning about yourself and building long-term resilience.
• Boundaries matter—telling your friends, family, and coworkers that you’re offline during workouts is healthy and empowering.
• We’ll handle the programming—you don’t need your smartphone to guide you. We’ve already got a plan tailored to your goals.

Where ever you are doing your workout, you can set these expectations in your space and make the most of your sessions.

⚖️ The Bottom Line:

Use Your Smartphone - Don't Let It Use You

Smartphones have some wonderful benefits: tracking progress, accessing fitness tools, even boosting motivation with music. And beware of their biggest drawback. Distraction. It leads to mental fatigue, reduced volume, longer rest periods, and less effective workouts.

So let’s reframe how we use them.

Before or after your workout? Sure—check your app, log your session, enjoy a playlist.

During a coached or group session? Put it away. You—and your goals—deserve your full attention.



Let’s train smart, stay present, and give ourselves permission to be fully in the moment.

Ready to train smarter, live more, and hurt less?
If you're an active person who's tired of working around pain—or just tired of not knowing why you're in pain—let’s change that. At Progressive Athletics, we specialize in helping people like you get out of pain, improve performance, and build long-term strength that actually lasts.

Email Linette at linette@progressiveathletics.us to set up your free Discovery Call and learn how our personalized approach can help you move, feel, and live better.