Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Home-Based Prescribed Pulmonary Exercise in Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Published on: August 24, 2019
Increased occupational physical activity does not improve physical fitness
L Ruzic1, S Heimer, M Misigoj-Durakovic
1Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Croatia. lruzic@ffk.hr
Aim:
To determine the possible influence of high physical load in the workplace on the physical fitness of employees.
Methods:
The subjects (494 men) were tested by means of Baecke's questionnaire for evaluation of the Work Index, measuring occupational physical load. The EUROFIT battery of tests was used for testing the functional and motor abilities of the subjects.
Results:
Subjects with a higher Work Index (n = 274) performed worse than the subjects with a lower Work Index (n = 220), indicating that high physical load in the workplace does not necessarily mean improvement in functional and motor abilities. The "heavy" workers were only found to have a stronger handgrip. This could be attributed to the fact that physical activity performed at the workplace did not have adequate intensity, volume, and duration to effect positive changes in other motor and functional capacities.
Related Concept Videos
Exercise and Muscle Performance
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
COPD: Management Using Bronchodilators and Corticosteroids
Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be met...
Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-V: Management
Smoking Cessation

