Over the 11 years we’ve been operating, we’ve educated and treated hundreds of hardworking, committed employees performing very physically demanding jobs. FORM’s role is to visit a worksite and help these people maintain their health, and empower them to take control of their own habits.
One of the key concepts we repeat time and again is to encourage clients to think of themselves as professional (industrial) athletes. In some positions, their job demands just that: physical conditioning of someone moving as much (if not more), performing duties as hard as someone training for an event or competition.
Furthermore, some jobs demand endurance and strength comparable to professional athletes. These demands are required often for at least eight hours a day (often many more), over years, and into decades. Consider professional hockey players. They are not just exercising at practices or on game day. Their job requires constant physical conditioning for performance: weight training, yoga, and other aerobic activity.
The industrial athlete mindset will help workers understand the importance of warm-ups, regular stretching breaks, changing your position frequently and regular exercise to combat muscle imbalance. It’s in everyone’s best interest to keep our bodies in top performance mode to prevent a serious injury, and feel well.