A Healthy Workforce Equals a Healthy Bottom Line

By Zoe Robinette

HOT TIP: WARM UP TO MAKING TIME TO WARM UP

Prepare yourself for the work or play day by doing a gradual warm-up. A 10-minute warm-up leads to more efficient calorie burn, produces a faster, more forceful muscle contraction, increases your metabolic rate so that oxygen is delivered to the working muscles, improves joint range of motion and helps prevent injuries by improving muscle elasticity. Begin with a progressive aerobic activity such as walking. Once the body is warm, add flexibility stretching exercises. Choose flexibility exercises that stretch the muscles you will be using during the day. For some that means an overall stretch, neck rotations and tilts, shoulder shrugs, wrist rotations, side bends, over-head stretch, hamstring and calf stretch, with some plantar fascia stretch to finish. Ten minutes of warm-up lessens fatigue and prepares your muscles for the workday.

This hot tip is intended for use as a resource for health fitness promotion and MSD injury prevention. A comprehensive ergonomic evaluation and/or medical evaluation should be conducted if you experience prolonged or severe signs and symptoms of a musculoskeletal disorder.

March 2007 Builder Architect Edition Issue

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