Exercise Prescription for the Work-Life Population and Beyond

Abstract

The background for this paper concerns a high frequency of work-related disorders that may result from physical exposure at work being highly sedentary, repetitive-monotonous, or physically demanding. This may result in levels of physical inactivity or strenuous activity impairing health. The aim is to present an evidence-based exercise prescription for the work-life population and beyond. The exercise program is designed to be feasible for use at the workplace and/or during leisure time and to improve health, workability, productivity, sickness absence, etc. The specific concept of Intelligent Physical Exercise Training, IPET, includes the assessment of several health-related variables, including musculoskeletal disorders, physical capacity, and physical exposure at work and/or daily life activity. An algorithm with cut-points for prescribing specific exercises is provided. Exercise programs in praxis are addressed through descriptions of precise executions of various prescribed exercises and possible alternatives to optimize variation and adherence. Finally, perspectives on the significance of introducing IPET and the ongoing, as well as future lines of development, are discussed.

Keywords: cardiovascular fitness; exercise interventions; musculoskeletal disorders; musculoskeletal pain; physical capacity; physical exercise training; resistance training; strength training; workplace health promotion.

Figure 1

The daily profile of physical activity (PA) consists of three domains of work, leisure time, and sleep alongside with their subdivisions, each with its positive or negative contributions to health and physical capacity [6]. Reproduced with permission from Exercise Sport Sci Rev.

Figure 2

Vicious and virtuous circle model presents the importance of the individual’s capacity for the relation between a designated work task and its load imposed on the body. The relative load of the workdays may, in a longer term, cause either an increase or decrease in individual capacity, thereby initiating a vicious or a virtuous circle. Adapted from [7].

Figure 3

Overview of screening recommendations, training categories, and their effects. HIIT: High intensity interval training. RFD: Rate of Force Development. Adapted from [8].

Figure 4

Cartoon of the conceptual model of IPET. The IPET concept is based on 50 min effective intelligent exercise training each week, excluding warm-up time for around 10 min. Twenty minutes is allocated to the individual’s work profile, and 30 min is allocated to target the individual’s physical capacity and health profile. In addition to the 50 min IPET, warm-up exercises are recommended to increase the body’s temperature and to start the circulation, so that the blood supply increases to the working muscles. The intensity is light, up to 60% of maximum heart rate, corresponding to 9–13 on the 6–20 Borg scale.

Figure 5

Overview of aerobic training intensities measured objectively as heart rate reserve capacity (%HRR) and/or using the corresponding subjective perception. The rate of perceived exertion (RPE) can be evaluated from the 6–20-point Borg scale (C) or the reconstructed 0–10-point Borg scale (C-R). Adapted from [7].