When the holidays are over, many of us will hit the gym to lose those extra pounds. If you have a job that requires you to get your heart rate up and use your muscles, you may think you're all set.
However, research says that's not the case. It's called the Physical Activity Paradox and it's challenging our conventional understanding of exercise and its impact on the health of workers with physically-demanding jobs.
Casey O'Sullivan, who works at Interstate Auto Care, helps keep metro Detroiters on the move. At his job, he said there's a lot of physical work.
"Between pushing cars, picking up tires and heavy components," he said. "Setting hoists, working above your head, working down low."
The work requires lifting, pulling, stretching, and twisting.
Nick Nalu, the GM at Interstate Auto Work, said there is a factor of exercise in a job that.
But, there's a twist. Exercise from physically-demanding jobs, like mechanics, construction workers, or nurses, doesn't necessarily equate to better health outcomes that we see from leisure activity like jogging, swimming or lifting weights. It could actually have the opposite effect. =
But there's a twist. Exercise from physically demanding jobs, like mechanics, construction workers or nurses, doesn't necessarily equate to better health outcomes that we see from leisure activity such as jogging or swimming or lifting weights. Surprisingly, it could have the opposite effect.
"High activity, occupational physical activity could actually be detrimental to your cardiovascular and even mental health," Dr. Monica Jiddou-Patros, an interventional cardiologist at Corewell Health, said.
Jiddou-Patros says the problem may arise from the intensity and very nature of physical work in these jobs. Unlike a typical workout, occupational physical activity often involves long hours of repetitive, strenuous tasks.
"When you're exercising for leisure, you might get your heart rate up to 60% or 80%, but just for a short time, and then you could stop and take a break," she said.
At work, your heart rate may not be as high but can remain elevated for eight, ten or 12 hours a day.
"Just the stress of that can increase inflammation. Inflammation has been linked to heart disease," she said.
Work-related physical activity has been tied to a greater musculoskeletal disorders and, according to a study in the medical journal Lancet Regional Health - Europe, an increased risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
So what can you so if you have one of these high activity jobs? Back at Interstate Auto Care, Casey his routine starts before he picks up his first tool.
"Every morning I have a series of stretches that I do in order to help limber up," he said.
Just like he would at the gym. He also builds in time for recovery by staggering physically demanding tasks with less stressful work. Nalu says use the right tool for the job.
"So that you can avoid using your body as a tool in any way possible is going to help," he said.
Rotating tasks with other workers to avoid repetitive strain and asking for help with big jobs will also help. Other professions like nursing stress the importance of ergonomics, and even consider hitting the gym even a tiring day's work.
"Leisurely physical activity might offset some of the harmful effects of occupational physical activity," Jiddou-Patros said.
How much exercise and how much it may offset harmful work-related physical exercise is still the subject of active research. These studies controlled for factors like income and education. It still comes down to the role of occupational physical activity.
When your job is physically demanding you need to take extra steps to keep the potential damage from adding up.
