Getting the ball rolling

Here are a few job types and suggested workout approaches:

Desk jobs

A number of issues occur for people who primarily work at a desk, including poor posture, tight hip flexor muscles, weak glutes, slumped shoulders, a sore neck and lower back pain.

To counter each of these issues, Krista Hogan of Goodlife Fitness on Blackmarsh Road in St. John’s suggests a training program that includes elongating/stretching the front muscles and strengthening the ones in the back.

She said it is important to stretch the hip flexors and the front of shoulders in addition to building strength in the glutes and shoulders and working on improving posture. She said getting up and moving around every 20 minutes promotes circulation and muscle use.

Trouble areas: Sitting at a desktop computer promotes slumped shoulders and shortens the hip flexor muscles.

Studies show that as muscles weaken around our spine, we tend to hunch more and our heads jut forward, straining our backs and necks. Workout suggestions:

• Dynamic warmup

• Stretching

• Exercises to build core and glute stability

• Strength training for shoulder and back muscles

• Cardio

On your feet all day?

Building stamina and addressing leg and ankle strength and mobility caused by standing five hours a day or more is critical. Standing contributes to a significant and prolonged lower-limb muscle fatigue. This can raise the risks of long-term back pain and musculoskeletal disorders.

Nurses, teachers, mail carriers and others who stand and walk for their jobs need to look at strengthening their leg and core muscles and promoting mobility.

Cardio can help endurance. Trouble areas: Standing and walking all day can lead to circulation problems in your legs, as well as lower back and foot muscle pain. Workout suggestions:

• Calf raises for circulation and squatting for joint movement

• Exercises to increase ankle mobility

• Exercises to strengthen glutes (overhead walking lunges, single leg bench squats)

• Isolated core work

• Stretching lower back — cat/camel, glute stretches Manual/physical labour For those who run heavy equipment, lift heavy objects and move containers, a fair bit of strength training happens on the job. People who do physical labour can benefit from regular cardiovascular exercise to build aerobic stamina and should focus on mobility and preventing injury.

People who do physical labour often favour one side when they lift or do repetitive work that causes muscular imbalance and posture issues, as well as pain.

Personal trainers would likely work on stretching and addressing imbalances through bodyweight exercises

Trouble areas: If your work involves physical labour, you need to allow time for your body to recover to prevent injuries from overuse. Lifting heavy things can also strain your heart, so it’s important to maintain heart health and build stamina with regular cardio exercise. Workout suggestions:

• Warm up

• Mechanical tissue work, such as foam rolling or massage.

• Focus on working the areas that you don’t use at work

• Keep strength sessions brief and avoid lifting until failure

• Always include cardio to build aerobic endurance