Stretching and Warm-Up Routines for Workers: PT Recommendations

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Most athletes perform some type of warm-up before their games or workouts. Warming up primes the body, boosts performance, and helps prevent injury. All that sounds great, right? So, why don’t we warm-up before our work shifts?

A short pre-work warm-up can prepare you for the workday. Exercise helps by…

  • Waking up your muscles. It increases blood flow, so your muscles get warmed up and ready for the day. This allows your muscles to work more efficiently and smoothly throughout your workday. Thus, making your work feel easier. Warming up your muscles can also help reduce pain and prevent injury on the job.
  • Decreasing stiffness. Often first thing in the morning our joints are a little stiff. “Motion is lotion” for our joints and can help reduce stiffness and improve mobility.
  • Improving brain function. Exercise increases blood flow and oxygen to not only our muscles, but also our brain! This helps boost cognition and memory which can improve job performance.
  • Making you happy! A little exercise can enhance your mood. As Elle Woods said in Legally Blonde: “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.” Plus, the workday is a little better when we’re in a good mood (and when our colleagues are too).
  • Reducing stress. Exercising can reduce stress, but specific breathing exercises like diaphragmatic breathing (or belly breathing) can really help calm down your body’s nervous system and reduce muscle tension. This can be great to focus on before a big presentation or anytime you are feeling a little overwhelmed in the workplace.

A short warm-up or movement break can benefit both manual laborers and desk-jockeys. If you need some exercise ideas or don’t know where to start, head over to our YouTube channel and check out the quick Tx:Team Movement Break videos (like the one featured below). I hope you give it a go and feel a little better for your workday!

Sara Sermersheim, PT, DPT

Sara earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Evansville, where she also completed her undergrad. During her studies, she explored healthcare systems in both the UK and the US. With over six years in outpatient physical therapy, Sara treats patients of all ages and specializes in orthopedic care. She’s certified in dry needling, vestibular and concussion rehab, and trained in the McKenzie Method for spinal treatment.