The trapezius is the large triangular-shaped muscle that runs from the base of your head down your spine, and from these two points over to the top of your shoulder. You’ve got two of them, your trapezii, one on each side. They’re the muscles that start hurting after you’ve spent too long sitting at the keyboard in the wrong position, typing without a break. Poor posture, unhealthy arm position, and simply too much typing will stress these muscles, which can lead to problems with your shoulders, your neck, and your back. Here at Typesy we focus on ergonomics as part of typing training and provide information on how to set up your chair, your desktop, your keyboard, and your monitor to reduce stress and avoid injury. However, since many people spend as much time texting on their phones as they do typing on their computers, it’s important to remember that these same principles apply, even if you’re not sitting at a desk.

Take a look at the people around you who are using their smartphones to send a text – if you’re in a public place, there’s bound to be at least three people who are doing just that. You’ll probably notice that they’re all in about the same position: neck bent forward, looking down at the device in their hands, with their shoulders hunched. When you’re in this position, you’re putting a lot of strain on the trapezii, but worse, you’re pulling your spine out of alignment by adding extra stress on the top vertebrae. To reduce this problem, bring the device to eye level instead of lowering your head to look at the screen. You don’t have to hold your smartphone all the way up to your face, but just high enough that you can see the screen by lowering your eyes without moving your head.

You might be just about to reach the next level on Angry Birds or Candy Crush Saga, but if you’ve been playing the game for the last three hours, it’s time to give your muscles a break. In fact, you should take frequent breaks from texting or playing games, just like you take breaks when you’re typing at work. Even though you might think that you’re just moving your fingers, the muscles that move your fingers connect back to the trapezius muscles at your shoulders, and the accumulated stress builds up quickly.

Finally, why not just call people instead of texting? Emoticons can’t replace the sound of someone’s laughter, and you’ll probably find you’ve got more to talk about than you thought. Texts are good for quick messages, but if you want to have a conversation, it’s probably more practical to talk in person – and it’s definitely less strain on your muscles!