Thumbs up for texting


A mobile phone service provider has launched a fitness campaign for tired thumbs.

Thumbells

Thumbells Image: O2

In a bid to ensure that customers are prepared to cope with the much faster 4G network, UK mobile phone network provider O2 has launched a fitness campaign with "thumbells" to strengthen users' 'texting muscles'.

The fun campaign is a response to reports that claim two in every five people have had thumb pain in the past five years, with more than half stating their thumbs became tired after using their smartphones.

The 65-gram Thumbells are being tested by O2's employees and with additional customers who then share photos or videos via Twitter of their latest thumb 'workouts'.

Thumbells follow other products designed to help thumb problems - The Xtensor, a thumb and hand exercise glove, was marketed a few years ago for those people with "BlackBerry thumb." Before that advent of mobile phones, were remedies offered for video gamers who had "Gamer's thumb."