Occupational physical and emotional fitness

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Shariat, Ardalan

Affiliations: Sports Medicine Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Tel.: +982188630227; E-mail: a-shariat@razi.tums.ac.ir

Abstract: Sports medicine is a wide field of knowledge with a focus on the physical and psychological aspects of individuals; unfortunately, it is not well-known among occupational therapy practitioners. If at all, it is focused on exercise therapy for physical injuries and pain. We agree there are many types of physical pain and injuries among workers in different occupations, but not all that pain is related to physical overuse. Recently, new recommendations were presented by the American College of Sports Medicine highlighting particularly the psychological aspects of occupational emotional fitness. However, there is very little research about the concurrent effects of cost-effective packages of therapy for occupational emotional and physical fitness. Accordingly, this commentary reviews the occupational physical and emotional fitness aspects of sports medicine. In addition, this work makes suggestions to examine packages and protocols of physical and emotional fitness, with therapeutic targets for occupational cultures in different societies for employees and employers.

Keywords: Exercise therapy, occupational health, workplace, emotional fitness, sports medicine

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-182696

Journal: Work, vol. 59, no. 3, pp. 463-467, 2018