Strength Training And Aerobic Exercise Both Lower Cardiovascular Risks, Reduce Pain

Article Source: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Different types of work site exercise programs have multiple benefits, including reduced neck and shoulder pain for employees who do all-around exercise and lowered heart disease and stroke risk factors for those who do strength training, reports a study in the July Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

Led by Mogens T. Pedersen, PhD, of University of Copenhagen, the researchers randomly assigned 841 Danish office workers to two exercise groups. One group did all-around exercise, such as aerobics, walking, etc. The other group did strength training, focusing on the shoulder and cervical spine (neck) muscles. Both programs included one hour of supervised exercise per week, during working hours. A third group received no exercise program at work.

Cardiovascular risk factors including blood pressure and body fat decreased not only in workers assigned to aerobic exercise, but also in those who did strength training. The average reduction in blood pressure was large enough to lead to a 25 percent reduction in stroke risk.