intact joints

WORK CAPACITY PROMOTING EXERCISE

The body turns our thoughts into movements without us having to think about the details. We do not have to think of which of the many neck muscles contract and which relax when we turn our heads. We just turn our heads.

Pay conscious attention to whether you could work in a better position, otherwise you end up over-stressing your joints or an individual muscle.

Drawing of a person bowing down. The strain is applied to the lower back.

Long-term working in a bowing position over months and years weakens the wall of the intervertebral disc and can cause the disc to burst. Twisting the back while bowing down multiplies the stress on the discs and ligaments, especially if you use force to lift or move something.

Drawing of a person painting a wall. The strain is applied to the shoulder.

As a result of continuous hand elevation, the shoulder bursa can compress, swell and stiffen and get infected. Bursitis makes it difficult or even impossible to lift the hand.

Drawing of a person on his knees planting a plant in a pot. The strain is applied to the knee.

Working in a squat position stresses the knees. Respectively, standing on a hard surface increases the stress on the knee joints. Aim to avoid working on your knees. Use kneepads if this is not possible.

A working position that feels uncomfortable is a sign of over-stress

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Poor position in the joint, intense use of force and abundant repetition contribute to the development of repetitive strain injury. The injury can occur quickly under suitable conditions.

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Changes in tissues can be irreversible, so on the contrary things do not progress at the same pace. You can of course change the way of working before it starts feeling uncomfortable.

Muscle condition protects your joints

Sufficient muscle condition and mobility are the only means to protect yourself if you have to work a lot in difficult working positions.

The nervous system does not work as it should when you are tired and, for example, the reactions slow down. Movements become clumsy and the risk of developing repetitive strain injuries increases.

Students doing break exercise together in a group.

Bowing wrecks the back

The spine basically consists of 24 stacked bones. Joints and intervertebral discs that allow the spine to move are located between the bones.

As you bow forward:

the lever on the back increases and the muscles have to work multiple times harder.
the ligaments supporting the back are stretched.
the intervertebral discs are compressed and when compressed, they can, for example, press on the nerves and cause pain.

Squatting is poison to the knee

The knee joint is actually designed for walking. When standing, the knee must be able to carry the weight of your entire body. As with other joints, extreme positions increase the stress on the structures.

Arm does what the shoulder tells it to do

The shoulder is the most mobile joint of the body, which is more finely constructed than any industrial robot (the maintenance intervals have been neglected though). Whenever you move your arm, you also move your shoulder.

The higher and farther from your body your arm is working, the more the shoulder is stressed.
Lowering your arms shortly on the sides of your body restores blood circulation to the tissues and helps prevent the occurrence of repetitive strain injury.