How to Incorporate a Workout Routine with a Stressful Job

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By: Ben Greene, CSCS, CPT, YMCA of Parkersburg

Many people with stressful jobs aspire to add a workout routine into their lifestyle, yet many times don’t know how. This leads them going home after work, grabbing the ibuprofen, and crashing on the couch. Not realizing that adopting a routine can help relieve some of that pain and discomfort, to help them lead a healthier, more pain-free life.

I recommend before starting any workout routine to consult with a physical therapist, doctor, or other health care professional. This will help anyone with preexisting conditions to determine if you should be under any restrictions, or if there are specific protocols that should be completed before starting a routine.

Keys to Incorporating a Workout Routine into Your Lifestyle 

1. Perform the opposite of what you do at work. Exclude from workouts similar positions and repetitive movements that you do at your job. This will help counteract long-term wear and tear, correct imbalances, and prevent injury.

   1. Desk Job – Get up and move around! Exclude as much as possible, exercises and machines that require sitting.

   2. Standing or Walking Job – Avoid increasing the stress on the joints and feet. If those are problem areas, some exercises can be opted for seated or lying variations.

   3. Labor Job – If a large part of the day is spent pushing and carrying objects. Include a lot of upper and lower body pulling exercises to counteract those movements.

2. Build a solid base of support. Strengthen the muscles that are utilized to support the body throughout the day.

   1. Desk Job – Strengthen the muscles of the upper back and core to improve posture and prevent slouching while sitting at a desk. 

   2. Standing or Walking Job – Strengthen the muscles of the legs and core. With a focus on the posterior chain to help keep yourself upright throughout the day.

   3. Labor Job – Strengthen the muscles of the back, core, and legs. This will help with injury prevention of common areas, such as the shoulders, low back, and knees.

3. Relieve tension. Spend time addressing tight and sore muscles.

   1. Desk Job – Schedule 5-10-minute walks throughout the day. This will get blood moving and open up tight areas from prolonged periods of sitting, like the hips and low back.

   2. Standing or Walking Job – Much like a desk job it is beneficial to get out of a static position with scheduled 5-10-minute walks throughout the day. Those with walking jobs should spend time stretching and foam rolling tights, overused areas, like the quads and calves.

   3. Labor Job – Those with labor jobs will also want to dedicate time towards stretching and foam rolling tight, overused areas. As well as incorporating dynamic stretching to increase joint range of motion and activation of neglected muscle groups.

4. Prioritize Recovery. Juggling a physically taxing job and an exercise routine can be an exhausting task. Especially if you are not recovering properly. It’s not about what you can do, but what you can recover from.

   1. Desk Job – Since most people with desk jobs experience issues from inactivity, not over activity, most people should not have issues recovering. If the problem areas start getting worse, it is more likely an issue with exercise selection, not a lack of recovery.  

   2. Standing or Walking Job – Standing jobs should follow the same recovery guidelines as desk jobs. For those with walking jobs who already expend a lot of energy, pay close attention to your performance at work and during workouts. If performance starts to decrease, dial the workouts back and see if it begins to increase again.

   3. Labor Job – Much like walking jobs, if you have a highly physical labor job, you will need to pay close attention to work and workout performance. Dialing back as needed to improve recovery. Depending on your schedule, you may only be able to perform one workout per week, or the workouts may need to be very short. But doing something is almost always better than nothing.

Remember the reason for starting a workout routine is to help mitigate the wear and tear from your job. Not to become great at working out. So, start small, focus on exercise form, progress slowly, and figure out what works best for YOU! 

If you have any further questions on how to incorporate a workout routine with your job feel free to contact me at ben.greene.cpt@gmail.com.

Interested in personal training or group fitness classes? Contact Crystal Leonard, Health & Fitness Coordinator at (304) 485-5585 ext. 213 or crystal.leonard@parkersburgymca.org to schedule an appointment.