In physically demanding jobs, such as manual labor or any other activity involving intense effort, it is essential to prepare your body properly. Just like an athlete preparing for a marathon, professionals who perform repetitive tasks or carry heavy loads must follow a suitable routine to prevent injuries. Injuries such as shoulder pain, upper limb pain, and lower back pain affect nearly 50 to 55% of people in these types of jobs. [1]

Physiotherapist tip #1: Prepare your body!

This type of job requires physical preparation tailored to the activity. Just like an athlete training for a marathon, it is crucial to develop a level of fitness that can withstand repetitive movements and absorb the daily workload. To do this, targeted muscle strengthening is recommended. [1] For example, for handling and carrying loads, strengthening the glutes, hamstrings, deltoids, and lumbar paravertebral muscles is particularly beneficial. By doing muscle strengthening exercises, your tissues (muscles, tendons, joints, etc.) will adapt, increasing their tolerance to the repeated stresses imposed by your daily activities and reducing the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders.

Physiotherapy tip #2: do cardio-respiratory exercise

In a physical job, the effort is characterized by intense, repeated actions over short periods of time, requiring more anaerobic work than endurance. It is therefore a good idea to supplement this activity with aerobic exercise outside of working hours to improve your cardiorespiratory health and enhance your overall well-being. [1] Individual sports such as cycling, Nordic walking, running, or badminton, as well as team sports such as soccer, basketball, or rugby, are particularly recommended.

Physiotherapy tip #3: What to do in case of a new injury?

If you sustain an injury related to your activity, here are the steps to follow:

→ Identify any changes that could be causing it (such as overexertion, too many repetitions without a break, an increase in the frequency of the activity, or the introduction of a new activity).

→ Reduce the factors that trigger the injury until the pain subsides.

→ Gradually retrain your body by re-exposing it to the initial factors (for example, by gradually increasing the load, number of sets/repetitions, frequency, or range of motion) until you can resume the activity without pain or apprehension.

→ Consult your doctor promptly when pain first appears to obtain a diagnosis and establish a treatment strategy.

Sources :

[1] Bigard MX. Activités physiques et sportives au travail, une opportunité pour améliorer l’état de santé des employés. Académie nationale de Médecine 2022