Strength put to the test
By Nathan Mawby
Courier Mail
SAT 08 SEP 2012, Page E18
NURSES are as physically strong as AFL players but tradies still have a way to go.
That is the result of testing the strength of Richmond Football Club players in comparison with a range of workers in a bid to identify those at risk of work injury.
Testing at the club revealed the players with the most stability through their abdominal, hip and pelvic muscles were the least injury prone and could play the entire season without injury.
Melbourne company dorsaVi used accelerometer and gyroscope technology to measure physical stability.
When it tested the workers it found the firefighter and yoga instructor came up trumps, the nurse held her own but office workers and tradies were more likely to be armchair athletes.
``In terms of those movements, the firefighter would be in the top six, the yoga instructor would be in the top half . . . the nurse is quite good, still in the top half of Richmond,'' says dorsaVi co-creator and former physiotherapist Andrew Ronchi.
Even the club's most solid athletes, including stalwarts Bachar Houli and Brett Deledio, don't have much over firefighter Michael Wilson, 33.
With his most recent injury occurring more than two years ago, Wilson has dodged the worst effects of a physically demanding job.
``The last time I had time off work with an injury was a couple of years ago, with a knee injury,'' he says.
The measurement system, called viMove, also is being used to find better ways for businesses to manage staff lifting and moving items.
Work with a major supermarket chain has already found a way to reduce the risk of back injury among staff moving milk crates, Ronchi says.
HOW THEY STACKED UP
Firefighter: 10/10
Richmond FC top 12 players: 9 to 10/10
Yoga instructor: 9/10
Richmond FC players in mid-range: 8/10
Nurse: 7 to 8/10
Richmond FC worst scoring players: 7/10
White collar: 6/10
Tradesman: 5/10
AT THE CORE OF A CAREER
Nurses: Take up pilates to increase core strength, reduce the risk of back and shoulder injuries from working with patients and to bolster balance when moving at the outer limits of your reach.
Office workers: Get regular exercise a few times a week for at least 30 to 60 minutes to improve fitness and reduce weakening of muscles from sitting down for long periods.
Tradespeople: Most have very high upper and lower-body strength and poor core strength. Include push-ups in your daily routine to bolster core muscles and reduce the risk of hernia and back injury from lifting heavy objects or working at an angle.
