By Jeanne Griffin, M.S., CDMS, Director, IPMR’s Return to Work Center
We all make on-the-job decisions that impact our overall fitness: Whether to park farther out in the parking lot, take the steps or elevator, or lift more than we can handle. Our bodies do not hold a level of strength unless routinely challenged to do so. It takes very little time to decondition. It is the “use it or lose it” syndrome.
Worker fitness is the ability to safely perform the physical demands of the job. It is every healthy worker’s responsibility to perform what is physically required of the job from day one to retirement. Unfortunately, many of us forget this responsibility, and over time, we might avoid the most strenuous work and allow ourselves to become physically deconditioned.
Most jobs have some elements of lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling. Even an office job calls for lifting reams of paper and pushing/pulling file drawers. When trying to find a job, how many of us consider, “Can I physically do the job?” More often, we are thinking about how to pay the bills, regardless of what is required physically. We may have an unrealistic view of our physical capabilities and put ourselves at risk by taking on a job beyond what we can safely do. In an attempt to minimize injuries, many employers require a post-offer employment screening for new employees to demonstrate the ability to perform the required job tasks; in other words, making sure there is a good match between the employee’s physical capabilities and the physical demands of the job. This approach has surely prevented countless injuries. An employee who tries to strengthen up on the job by lifting more than is safe is a recipe for an on-the-job injury. Employees do not always feel empowered to tell a supervisor a task is too demanding; they may find a way to do the task that compromises safety.
As jobs evolve, physical demands may increase or decrease:
- A worker performs seasonal work and is not working for part of the year
- The company downsizes staff and a worker has to take on someone else’s work with higher physical demands
- A physically active worker is promoted to a mostly sedentary management position, but then may perform sporadic heavy lifting when filling in during staff shortages
As workers, we need to be ready for these ups and downs and stay strong enough for the heaviest tasks required. That probably means putting in some physical effort outside of the work environment. Supplementing physical exertion on the job with regular exercise outside of work can ensure the body maintains the ability to perform work tasks well within capabilities. This is where a “functional workout” can provide the best approach to maintaining strength and endurance for actual job tasks. Functional workouts are individually designed using a job description as a template. They should include actual job activities such as ladder climbing, pushing dollies or carts, and lifting objects of various sizes or weights.
Years on the body equate to wear and tear on body structures. Few workers are in perfect condition, and even elite athletes have to work around injured areas. So how do we keep our bodies in shape to work until retirement age or beyond? The answer is by working smart and applying ergonomic approaches to how tasks are performed. This can be challenging without help, since we cannot watch ourselves work and see what we are doing that contributes to injury. This is where the ergonomic professional comes in. They assess the work environment and worker actions to provide recommendations for worker efficiency and comfort. Surprisingly, recommendations rarely involve expensive equipment, but have more to do with worker habits and job interface. Pointing out risk factors may be all that is needed.
Employers are finding creative ways of helping workers stay on the job. For example, employees can be reimbursed for part or all of their wellness participation. In order to ensure workouts truly do equate to improving or maintaining work fitness on the job, consider if the workout is similar to the job tasks. A functional work fitness program will address the physical demands of the job. Again, staying fit for the job every day is crucial and requires more dedication as we age.
Jeanne Griffin, M.S., CDMS, is the Director of IPMR’s Return to Work Center, which offers work-related services including functional work fitness and ergonomic evaluation. For information call: IPMR’s Return to Work Center at 309.692.8155.
Photo credits: vgajic/Geber86/istock