The Quality of the Future Workers Of America – Not Looking To Good!

Over the last several years, I have written about the America worker’s demise regarding their muscular strength especially in the shoulders and leg strength and their overall decrease in the health of their muscle.   This lack of muscular strength and quality of muscle is magnified further with more workers working into their sixties and seventies.  The research is clear that these changes in the strength of the worker and muscle health will lead to an increase in musculo-skeletal injuries, falls, chronic diseases and loss of quality of life (Chen, Shailendra, Liu).

The poor muscle health of the worker today is not going to go away anytime soon because the physical fitness level of our children continues to get worse on a day-to-day basis.  In a recent study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, titled “Resistance Training Effects on Pubertal Children With A Risk of Developing Pediatric Dynapenia”, the authors Cassio V. Ruas and others cited several key references that showed the long term effects of our children’s pediatric dynapenia (low muscle strength and power) when they become adults.  As adults, their quality of life is poorer with a greater number and severity of chronic diseases, especially obesity, and poorer cognitive development.  Several studies show that strengthening exercises in children are essential for neuromuscular, cognitive and cortex (brain) structural development in youth, which influence neurocognitive and motor development in later stages of life (Myer, Faigenbaum).

Our children and youth are not getting enough play time and physical activity.  Katzmarzyk et al reported in 2018 only 24% of children 6-17 years of age perform 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week (the requirement for good physical and mental development) in the United States.  This means three out four of our youth do not meet the minimum weekly physical requirements. 

What impact is this going to have on our workforce when these youth enter the workforce?  I believe there will still be physically demanding jobs to be done in industry for many years to come.  But even jobs that are not physically demanding, will our youth be able to stay focused and have adequate strength to safely perform the essential functions of the job?  In an earlier paper, I wrote about a research study that recommended that our children be paid to do physical activity/exercise.  Maybe this is a solution – but what group/organization will pay our youth to put their electronics down to become more physically active?

But we have a bigger problem, and that problem is called sarcopenia (low muscle mass) and dynapenia (low muscle strength and power).  This is occurring today at a faster rate than ever before, especially now that we have so many adults still working into their 60’s and 70’s.  I am preparing another paper on this topic which should be published in the next 45 days.

All this means that health and safety specialists and occupational health professionals are going to have their hands full dealing with these issues for many years to come.

References:

Chen, LK. Skeletal Muscle Health: A Key Determinant of Healthy Aging.  Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics.  2023: 109; 105011

Shailendra, P, et al.  Resistance Training and Mortality Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.  2022: 63(2); 277-285

Liu, S, et al.  A Meta-Analysis on the Impact of Resistance Training on Phase Angle in Middle-Aged and Older Individuals.  Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. 2024: 119; 105318

Ruas, CV, et al.  Resistance Training Effects on Pubertal Children With a Risk of Developing Pediatric Dynapenia.  European Journal of Applied Physiology.  2024: 124; 2123-2137

Myer, GD, et al.  Sixty Minutes of What? A Developing Brain Perspective for Activating Children with an Integrative Exercise Approach.  Br J Sports Med. 2015: 49(23); 1510-1516

Faigenbaum, AD, et al.  May the Force be with Youth: Foundational Strength for Lifelong Development.  Curr Sports Med Rep. 2023: 22(12); 414-422

Katzmarzyk, PT, et al.  Results from the United States 2018 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth.  J Phys Act Health.  2018: 15(S2); S422-S424