Physical work: Will it keep you in shape or harm your health?

Those who are physically hard-working are comfortable with the idea that this will keep them in shape at least. However, Danish scientists have now reached a completely different conclusion.

Whether on a construction site, in clinics, or in a store – physical labor can be very stressful. A person who lifts heavy objects all day or places cargo or Care of the elderly *But, at least he maintains his fitness and saves himself from running around. Or maybe not? Danish scientists actually came to a different conclusion.

The study: Physical work does not keep you in shape, but it is more harmful to your health

A team of researchers from the National Research Center for Ergonomics in Copenhagen (Denmark) compared the health effects of physical work with those of recreational sport. But instead of finding a positive effect of the action on the body, the opposite was true: Physical work is harmful to healthWhile recreational sport has a positive effect on the organism. During their comparative study, the scientists found that physical labor

Many people in manual jobs believe that physical activity at work can make them fit and healthy, and thus relaxing when they get home. Study author Professor Andreas Holtermann commented on the finding, unfortunately, our results indicate that this is not the case. Instead, “After 10,000 steps of cleaning or standing on the production line for seven hours, people feel like they are fatigued“So Holterman.”

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Paradox: Not every movement is healthy

The paradox is here: While physical exercise at work is said to have a negative effect on employee health with increasing intensity, the exact opposite is the case with exercise at leisure – even sport saves lives! Until you sink According to the study, recreational sports increase the risk of cardiovascular disease By as much as 23 percent and Reducing the risk of death by up to 41 percent. The reasons for this were not investigated in the study.

So even people who are physically hard-working should get used to a little exercise in their spare time. “A brisk 30-minute walk will be good for your health by increasing your heart rate and improving cardio-respiratory fitness, while exercise doesn’t raise your heart rate enough to improve fitness,” explains the study director. In addition, the work that involves lifting for several hours a day increases Blood pressure for several hoursIt is linked to the risk of heart disease, while short bursts of vigorous physical activity at leisure only increase blood pressure for a short period. ”

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This is how the study was conducted

to me A study published in the European Heart Journal, 104,046 women and men between the ages of 20 and 100 were surveyed. They were part of a Danish population survey between 2003 and 2014. Participants had to answer questions about their activity during their spare time and during work hours. Based on this, their exercise score was rated as low, medium, high, or very high in both categories. This was followed by an average follow-up period of 10 years. According to the researchers, the various factors were balanced in the analysis so that the results could not be explained by lifestyle, health, social or economic status. (P) * Merkur.de is a demo of IPPEN.MEDIA.

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Additional source: European Society of Cardiology (ESC) press release