4 Benefits of Warming Up Before Manual Work

We live in a culture that is passionate about health and safety. Everything from office furniture and work clothing to working hours is carefully monitored to promote a healthy body and work-life balance. Manual workers have learned better ways to bend, lift, and rotate tasks to avoid injury.

Yet, one simple and overlooked preventative activity is warming up and stretching before engaging in manual labor. This simple habit may reduce the risk of injury—and improve your performance—in the following four ways.

1.  Improves Balance

Slips and falls are the most common work-related injuries. When you take time to move your body and stretch, you prepare your muscles and your mind for the challenge ahead. A simple guideline is to warm up for 15 minutes.

Gentle exercise—like a brisk walk—increases your body temperature and encourages circulation and blood oxygenation. The result? Muscles that are more coordinated and responsive and better balanced. Warming up also increases your mental awareness of your body in space, which improves your response time and boosts your balance.

2.  Enhances Flexibility

As you warm up and stretch your muscles, you naturally lengthen them. And this means increased flexibility. Flexibility helps your muscles stretch and flex and limits the risk of sprains and strains—common workplace injuries.

Choose gentle stretches relevant to the type of work you need to do. If you are bending forward, include backbends to release tension and encourage a neutral spine (straight posture).

3.  Decreases Fatigue

Some manual work injuries occur due to fatigue. But did you know that when you stretch warmed-up muscles, you reduce fatigue?

As you warm up and stretch, you help  increase nutrient-rich blood flow to your soft tissue and joints. You also stimulate the lubrication of joints—if your stretches involve each joint’s full range of motion. After stretching, your muscles and joints are better able to function without tension, friction, or fatigue—and you’re less likely to get hurt!

4.  Reduces Discomfort and Maximises Productivity

One major advantage of warm-ups and stretching is the release of tension in your muscles (caused by stress or previous physical work). Releasing tension makes you feel better and improves your performance, too.

Simple daily warm-ups and stretches may reduce the risk of developing a musculoskeletal disorder—one of the leading causes of injury and illness in the workplace. Besides limiting discomfort and suffering, better health naturally supports your productivity and career goals.

Get the Most Out of Your Warm-Up

An appropriate and consistent warm-up routine can save you time, money, and a lot of pain (now and in the future!). Sadly, incorrect stretches or inadequate warm-ups may do more harm than good.

To get the most out of your warm-up routine—and do it safely—chat with a professional. A chiropractor will craft an ideal warm-up routine that suits your body and the nature of your work. You’ll learn how to protect your body, improve your posture, and work without pain. Our team at Chatfield Chiropractic is ready to help. Book your appointment for more information

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