August is Tradies Health Month and a good chance for us to look at the benefits for tradies in being proactive in their physical wellbeing and how that translates into feeling better mentally. The trades industry is well-known for being a physical workspace dominated by hard workers who often put their projects before their own wellbeing with a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude.
So what are the benefits of prioritising physical health for tradies?
- Longevity and Career Sustainability: By investing in physical health, tradies can extend their working career and improve their longevity in their chosen industry. A healthy, strong and fit body allows tradies to maintain productivity, cope with physical demands and avoid job limitations due to health issues.
- Injury Prevention: The trade industry carries a high risk of occupational injuries and accidents. Maintaining physical fitness, strength and flexibility helps tradies reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries, strains, sprains and other work-related injuries.
- Improved Mental Health: Physical health and mental wellbeing are closely linked. Regular exercise and physical activity release endorphins, which are known to improve mood, reduce stress, and boost overall mental wellbeing. By taking care of their physical health, tradies can positively impact their mental health and resilience, reducing the risk of stress, anxiety and depression.
- Long-Term Wellbeing: Physical health directly impacts long-term wellbeing. By prioritising physical fitness, tradies can lower the risk of chronic health conditions such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Engaging in regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight can significantly improve overall health and quality of life.
At Boost Health, we see a wide variety of work related injuries and chronic pain from our tradies. Some of the most common we see include:
- shoulder pain – typical of tradies who work over head like plasters or painters
- low back pain – tradies who spend lots of time bent over or lifting like welders or plumbers
- knee pain – tradies who climb ladders, lots of stairs or kneel frequently
With a combination of treatment and exercise prescription these are usually very manageable injuries to overcome to help you keep working and feeling at your best.
How can Myotherapy, Physiotherapy and Podiatry?
Our Myotherapists, Physios and Podiatrists will assess your pain levels, strength, function and range of movement to identify the specific structures involved. We will also assess the muscles and surrounding structures to identify the contributing factors.
We will then use a variety of modalities, such as massage, dry-needling and/or shockwave therapy to reduce pain, improve function and get you moving so that you can stay active and happy.
After this, your therapist will move into a phase of strengthening and prescribe exercise to prevent ongoing injury. This helps to ensure that long lasting outcomes are achieved to keep you active and happy and doing the things you love for longer.
Tradies… we got you!! And we urge you to prioritise your health and wellbeing so you can deliver the goods for your clients.
