Not Owning a Smartphone Himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger Unveils the Right Way to Reduce Screen Time: “That Derails You”

Patrick Schwarzenegger explained that his father doesn’t own a smartphone while appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2022. While the 30-year-old hilariously explained that the reason behind it was Arnie’s big thumbs, there’s more to it. While promoting his book Be Useful, Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke about how smartphones distract us.

Interviewer Ryan Holiday uploaded a clip from his conversation with Arnold Schwarzenegger at the 92NY. During the interview, the 76-year-old champion bodybuilder explained how he reduced screen time. While Arnie doesn’t own a smartphone, he does own an iPad and uses FaceTime to communicate with people.

How Arnold Schwarzenegger starts his day

During the interview, the former Mr. Olympia explained that he refrained from using his smart device after waking up. While most people unlock their phones even before getting out of bed, Arnie starts his day differently. “I would never touch the phone before I feed the animals… (or) I go to the gym… that sidetracks you,” explained the bodybuilding icon.

Arnold Schwarzenegger used a hypothetical example. “Let’s assume for a second your goal is to do bicycle… or stationary bike riding or exercising every morning,” said The Terminator. However, if an individual started browsing their phones first thing in the morning, they might feel other things need more attention. “That derails you,” said the 76-year-old. 

So if someone wants to reduce their screen time and work on their health, the key is not to turn on the phone first thing in the morning. However, this isn’t the first time Arnold Schwarzenegger has spoken about a smartphone’s ability to hamper other things. According to Arnie, the machines never allow people to be present at the moment.

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Sapping focus out of every task

Arnold Schwarzenegger acknowledged that smartphones have allowed people to communicate and interact with people like never before. However, the bodybuilding legend claimed that smartphones also inspire “half-a**ing.” Schwarzenegger explained that people in the gym often get distracted because they feel compelled to browse their phones between sets.

Hence, instead of focusing on their workout, people often mess up. They fail to build mind-muscle connections during a set and might also fail to keep track of how long they’re resting between sets. Phones distract people even when they are out spending time with their families. Hence, Arnie claimed that smartphones don’t allow people to live in the moment and that reducing screen time would benefit everyone.

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