The Oxford Dictionary defines an athlete as “A person who is proficient in sports and other forms of physical exercise” or “A person who takes part in competitive track and field events (athletics).” Athletes possess strength, speed, agility and power within the context of their sport or event. Professional or elite athletes compete at the limits of their functional capacity, with external demands and internal strain at their maximum. This is where records are broken and subsequent injuries arise. But what about blue collar and white collar workers as occupational athletes?
Occupational athletes must meet their job requirements and manage demands such as heavy manual labour or limitations such as sedentary work. Blue collar work can involve heavy manual labour and long hours. It includes skilled trades such as electricians, plumbers and mechanics. Work-related injuries in this group usually arise from poor lifting technique, awkward working postures, poor fitness or fatigue.
White collar occupations include desk-bound office or administration jobs, such as accounting, customer service, secretarial duties, IT support or architecture. Sedentary jobs may not seem physically demanding, but tissue overload and microtrauma can be less obvious. Repetitive, unvaried movements while sitting in a constrained posture cause fatigue and repetitive strain, along with microtrauma to tissue.
The same fundamental principles of sports medicine and rehabilitation apply when working with an elite sportsperson or an occupational athlete. This may involve modifying work duties or the work environment, including an ergonomic assessment. Movement patterns or postures that interfere with healthy motor function need to be corrected. Muscular endurance, followed by strength, can then be trained for the specific job task.
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