“Active” Jobs
Few of us have truly “active” jobs — ones in which our bodies work in all different ways equally throughout the day, ones in which we have adequate amounts of rest, ones in which we work in balance. Instead, even those people who are fortunate enough not to sit all day, are also very often, forced to ask their bodies to perform in an imbalanced manner — hammering with their right hand, standing hunched over an assembly line, or needing to lift and support people heavier than themselves under stressful conditions.
How to Really Be in an Active Job
There are a few things you can do if you have what is traditionally considered an “active” job. First, get honest about the reality of what you are asking your body to do. Instead of trying to convince yourself, for example, that your job is enough to keep you fit and healthy, recognize that you require an exercise program that does two things. First, it should keep you fit and healthy enough to do your job, and second, it should balance out any out-of-balance activity you have to do on a day-to-day basis.
Nurses walk all day and help support patients in and out of beds. Construction workers climb and lift and favor work with one arm and hold one position for long amounts of time. Factory workers stand and do repetitive motions for hours at a time. These are all “active” jobs, but they are not well-rounded days of activity, nor do they help someone stay fit. In other words, keep in mind that even an active job doesn't make you “fit.”
For example, if you are a nurse and are in stressful situations very often where you physically have to help people in and out of bed, you need to practice relaxation techniques and back, arm, chest, and core strengthening moves. You might also need to do aerobics to lose weight because even though you are on your feet, you're not actually moving enough to burn body fat. (You probably make 10,000 steps a day, but chances are you rarely get your heart rate up.)
Likewise, if you are a construction worker, you may already have strong arms and legs, but have you made sure that your back is strong so that when you lift heavy objects, your spine doesn't get sprained?
Although many people think personal trainers are a luxury, even a few sessions with a well-qualified one (see page 177) can give you a program tailored specifically to your needs. You should also check in with the trainer every few months to change your program enough to keep it interesting and in pace with your new fitness level.
