Pilates for Standing up Jobs
Standing All Day at Work May Take Toll on Health
Experiencing lower-limb muscle fatigue daily may have long-term consequences, study suggests
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, July 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Desk jobs aren't good for your health, but working on your feet could spell trouble, too, researchers say.
Standing five hours a day contributes to significant and prolonged lower-limb muscle fatigue, a small study concluded. This may raise your risk for long-term back pain and musculoskeletal disorders.
This isn't good news for the millions of bank tellers, retail assistants, assembly line workers and others who earn their living on their feet.
The study authors pointed out that almost half of all workers worldwide spend more than three-quarters of their workday standing.
Two hours of standing on the job is not associated with problems, but "a longer period is likely to have detrimental effects," said study lead author Maria-Gabriela Garcia, a doctoral candidate within the department of health sciences and technology at ETH Zurich in Switzerland.
The findings were published online recently in the journal Human Factors.
Standing for long periods is already associated with a higher risk for short-term problems, such as leg cramps and backaches. But the current study set out to see whether prolonged standing also raised the risk for developing longer-term issues.
The investigators focused on 14 men and 12 women. Half were between 18 and 30 years old, and half between 50 and 65. None had a history of any neurological or musculoskeletal disorder, and all were asked to refrain from high-level exertion the day before study participation.
Replicating a shift at a manufacturing plant, all were asked to simulate light tasks while standing at a workbench for five hours with five-minute rest breaks and one half-hour lunch break.
Posture stability and leg muscle stress (quantified as "muscle twitch force") were monitored throughout, and participants were asked to report on discomfort.
The result: Regardless of age or gender, participants were equally likely to experience significant fatigue at the end of the work day. What's more, clear signs of muscle fatigue were observed for more than a half-hour after the standing period ended, regardless of whether the participants actually felt the strain.
Because the study was small and of very limited duration, it doesn't prove that a job that requires prolonged standing will harm your health, the authors noted.
Still, Garcia said more research is needed to find ways to help workers deal with the difficulties of long-term standing.
Regular stretching exercises and "perhaps the incorporation of specific breaks, work rotation or the use of more dynamic activities could alleviate the effects of long-term fatigue,"
Garcia said. Alternating seated and standing work is also beneficial, she said, "as it alleviates both the issues with prolonged sitting and prolonged standing."
Another expert agreed with the need for frequent breaks and change in positions.
"Basically, the body does not like to have the same posture or load placed on it continuously, so change is always good," said Kermit Davis, graduate program director for environmental and occupational hygiene at the University of Cincinnati. "[You want] routine breaks where you get the blood moving," he added.
"One of the easiest implementations to deal with the problem is to have routine breaks every 30 or so minutes, where [workers] stand-up or move around [to] deliver paperwork, file papers in file cabinets, copy something, or use the restroom," Davis said.
His own research, he explained, has suggested that regular breaks do not undermine worker productivity.
When relevant, he said, it's also important that work stations are set at the proper height and distance from workers.
The above information is from WebMD News from HealthDay
By Alan Mozes
Unfortunately fatigue can make the workers have a bad posture. With Pilates exercises these workers will learn the lateral thoracic breathing, align their postures, engage their core and other principles that will help to maintain a better posture through long shits of standing up,
Pilates is also a great workout to strengthen the core. With a stronger core, these workers may develop a better posture and less muscles imbalances. Stronger core muscles can help the spine remain in its neutral posture.
Pilates can really make a difference in your health without taking a toll on your body.
A refreshing mind-body workout
By emphasizing proper breathing, correct spinal and pelvic alignment, and concentration on smooth, flowing movement, you become acutely in tune with your body. You actually learn how to control its movement.
In Pilates the quality of movement is valued over quantity of repetitions. Proper breathing is essential, and helps you execute movements with maximum power and efficiency. Last but not least, learning to breathe properly can reduce stress.
Develop a strong core - flat abdomen and a strong back
Pilates exercises develop a strong "core," or center of the body. The core consists of the deep abdominal muscles along with the muscles closest to the spine. Control of the core is achieved by integrating the trunk, pelvis and shoulder girdle.
Gain long, lean muscles and flexibility
More conventional or traditional workouts are weight bearing and tend to build short, bulky muscles - the type most prone to injury. Pilates elongates and strengthens, improving muscle elasticity and joint mobility. A body with balanced strength and flexibility is less likely to be injured.
Create an evenly conditioned body, improve sports performance, and prevent injuries
In the same vein, a lot of these same conventional workouts tend to work the same muscles. This leads weak muscles tend to get weaker and strong muscles tend to get stronger. The result is muscular imbalance - a primary cause of injury and chronic back pain.
Pilates conditions the whole body, even the ankles and feet. No muscle group is over trained or under trained. Your entire musculature is evenly balanced and conditioned, helping you enjoy daily activities and sports with greater ease, better performance and less chance of injury. That’s why so many professional sports teams and elite athletes now use Pilates as a critical part of their training regimen.
Learn how to move efficiently
Pilates exercises train several muscle groups at once in smooth, continuous movements. By developing proper technique, you can actually re-train your body to move in safer, more efficient patterns of motion - invaluable for injury recovery, sports performance, good posture and optimal health.
It’s gentle…
Many of the exercises are performed in reclining or sitting positions, and most are low impact and partially weight bearing. Pilates is so safe, it is used in physical therapy facilities to rehabilitate injuries.
But it’s also challenging…
Pilates is also an extremely flexible exercise system. Modifications to the exercises allow for a range of difficulty ranging from beginning to advanced. Get the workout that best suits you now, and increase the intensity as your body conditioning improves.
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