Hard Work Never Killed Anybody, So It Is Said… But What If You Exercise As Well?

Date: 15/07/2013

Hard to believe but, according to a study in Greece, a day’s work involving physical exertion could put you 20% more at risk of cardiovascular disease than working in an office.

On top of this another study carried out in Belgium and Denmark implied that free-time exercise (e.g. working out) on top of manual work put you at even higher risk of cardiovascular disease whereas those who work in an office actually benefit from free-time exercise.

It was reported that Men were four times more likely to have a coronary disease if they exercised as well as had a physical job.

Dr Demosthenes Panagiotakos, who led the Greek study, said the surprising results might be attributed to the extra stress experienced by people in physically demanding jobs.

However, he also said people in manual roles were more likely to be lower paid – which is linked to poorer health, with more unhealthy food and less access to healthcare.

Dr Els Clays, who led the Belgian and Danish study, added: “From a public health perspective it is very important to know whether people with physically demanding jobs should be advised to engage in leisure time activity.

“The results of this study suggest that additional physical activity during leisure time in those who are already physically exhausted from their daily occupation does not induce a ‘training’ effect but rather an overloading effect on the cardiovascular system.”

Spencer Private Hospitals now offer a Private Health Screening Service.