Leave your phone in the locker room to unleash better performance.
There’s barely enough time to shake out the burn and sop up your sweat, let alone check texts, during a lively-meets-relentless group fitness class. But that doesn’t stop members from taking a scroll mid-workout. In fact, phone-based interruptions seem to be at an all-time high, according to Michelle Rubich, a COACH X and group fitness instructor at Equinox East 74th Street.
Members squeezing in an afternoon workout (without telling their manager) bring their cells into the studio to respond to Slacks. Those who are utilizing childcare keep their phone in hand in case they need to suddenly pick up their little one. Others are waiting on furniture delivery updates or fear emergencies that require immediate attention. The list goes on and on.
That’s not to say Equinox Coaches are immune to technology’s lure.
Nearly every solo workout, Rubich wears a watch to track her workouts and a pair of Beats headphones to listen to music or a podcast. Throughout her 90-minute sessions, she checks her phone over and over again — responding to emails from her manager, chatting with clients who need to reschedule, watching TikToks sent by her family, and reviewing the program her own Equinox Coach has planned for her.
“I would say 80 percent of the time I fall for it and I give in to the temptation of texting back,” she admits. “The conversation in my head is, ‘If I just get it done now, I won't have to think about it later.’ And that's never really what happens — it always continues.”
Ditch Your Phone for a Better Workout
This distraction comes with a cost. On particularly chaotic days, Rubich says she rarely finishes the entire workout she had planned, attributed to her unintentionally prolonged rest periods. “I [feel] mentally fatigued, and I make excuses for why I can skip an exercise or skip a set, or, you know, I just got so distracted I run out of time and I need to go shower for my next client,” she says.
In a 2021 randomized control trial, researchers demonstrated the performance impacts of this mental fatigue. Participants performed three sets of half-back squats to muscular failure, using a load of 80 percent of their 15-rep max. In one of the conditions, the participants spent 30 minutes either watching a documentary or using social media before the workout. Those who spent their time on social media reported higher mental fatigue and had lower volume-load (reps x sets x load) during their workout than those who watched the documentary. The kicker? The groups had similar RPE (rating of perceived exertion) scores and mechanical performance (power output and movement velocity) during the exercise.
In other words, your training intensity might drop. In a 2015 study, participants who texted or talked on the phone while on the treadmill chose slower speeds than those who had no phone access. What’s more, the texters had significantly lower heart rates than the phone-free folks.
It’s not only about what’s lost; there’s also plenty to gain from leaving the tech in the locker room. When working with clients who train screen-free during one-on-one sessions, Rubich says, “we get so much more done. I'm actually able to build a stronger rapport with those clients. They probably make the most progress session over session with me, and they are also probably contributing the most in terms of forward thinking — what they want in the future months or seasons of training.”
Disconnecting yourself from your phone’s tether allows you to be fully present in your workout. That can translate to a deeper mind-body connection. The result: better technique and reduced injury risk. This mental space for introspection also allows open, truthful communication between member and coach. When a client is asked, “How difficult was that set for you?” Rubich says, “If they're too busy thinking about their next text, you know, maybe they're [less] likely to give me an honest answer.”
Without the anxiety of responding to urgent texts or the FOMO that crops up after watching Instagram Stories, rest periods are generally more restful, too, adds Rubich.
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How to Disconnect While Training
The irony is obvious: Many members come to the Club to unwind and clear the mind, yet they spend 10 minutes of their workout looking at stressful Teams messages and replying to emails that raise their blood pressure, says Rubich.
To start uncoupling yourself from your phone, Rubich suggests asking yourself: What would happen if you didn’t bring your cell into the studio for 60 minutes today? What’s the worst-case scenario, and what would you do to manage it? Most often, the hypothetical situation isn’t all that serious and can be easily resolved.
Then, set a SMART goal. If you work out four days a week, commit to being tech-free on one of those days for two months. (You can always go old-school and use pen and paper if you need to take notes about your workout.) Treat yourself like an experiment, says Rubich. Jot down how your workout felt when you checked your work email and how it felt when you left your phone in your bag. Over time, analyze it and look for trends. Did you push more weight or take the appropriate amount of rest because you were better in-tune with your body and how much you had left in the tank? Did you finish your workout quicker because you weren’t doomscrolling in between sets? Consider this your motivation to make a long-term change.
Maybe you can’t fully disconnect every workout — whether it’s due to a demanding career, fickle childcare, or something else. Find a way to replicate the phone-free experience as best you can, says Rubich. Set your phone to Do Not Disturb so it rings only for your favorite contacts. Log out of your social media so when you instinctively pick up your cell and try to scroll, you’re forced to make a conscious decision: “I’m pausing my workout to watch the dog video my partner sent.”
Try it for just one day. When you check in at your Club on World Mental Health Day, October 10, let the staff know you’re participating in a phone-free workout; they’ll give you a wristband to wear as you sweat and stretch, a symbol of connection and community among participating members.
So pop your phone into your locker. Tune out the noise of the online world. Show up for yourself fully.