Carpenters, labourers, landscapers and other Tradies (or Tradespeople) all come with a variety of different skillsets, but one thing they all have in common is their need for a well-functioning, healthy body to complete their work.
Lower back pain
Lower back pain is the most common complaint among tradies and service workers, followed closely by shoulder, neck, knee and ankle injuries.
Long working hours
Evidence has shown workers that averaged three to four hours of overtime a day were around 1.5 to 2 times more likely to develop certain chronic diseases.
Psychological stress
There is also the psychological stress of finding the next job with the prevalence of contractors and subcontractors in a highly competitive market.
These ailments and injuries can have a devastating impact on a person’s career, finances and family life, but some simple workplace exercises could help ease pain and reduce the number of tradies injured on the job.
You protect and maintain your tools, so it’s important to do the same when it comes to your body. Regular exercise is integral to Tradies for keeping your health and body in tip top shape.
The benefits of the right exercise include:
Completing a number of low back stretches, incorporating aerobic exercise and strength training, will assist in decreasing pain and injury reoccurrence. The appropriate exercises will assist increasing strength of the supportive structures (muscles) to enhance your functional capacity at work.
Exercise Right recommends the following top tips for tradies:
Consult an allied health professional
If you have suffered an injury at work, Exercise Right recommends consulting an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, Accredited Exercise Scientist and a Physiotherapist. All of these professionals work together to assist in your recovery from an injury.