Physical Literacy at Work

This post was inspired by a wonderful conversation I had with Tyson Beach yesterday. Tyson kindly shared with me some relevant papers on Physical Literacy and I am only just beginning to integrate this material into my thinking on Physical Literacy in the workplace. One of my initial impressions is the emphasis in the research on physical activity and recreational opportunities - mostly for children but also for adults throughout their life. It seems to me we can also look to our work as an opportunity to develop our Physical Literacy - to help each of us remain healthy.

Working age adults require specific skills to navigate their work environments to benefit their own health. Valuable progress in ergonomics around well designed work needs to be complemented by the presence of physical literacy (see my most recent post). Workplaces can provide a safe work environment as well as the training and coaching on the skills to move well. Without this, many adults will inadvertently use poor movement habits that can develop into a cycle of discomfort, pain and injury while completing their daily work tasks.

Employers looking to improve their quality, productivity and safety performance could pay attention to this important aspect of work for the benefit of their employees’ health.