Construction consists of arduous, punishing tasks that can leave a worker feeling muscle strains, or even injuries if they’re not careful. It’s no surprise that some compare such labor to exercise, so why shouldn’t one get in a good stretch before they get to work?
That’s what M.A. Mortenson Co. and Jim Scull Construction are doing before they work on their Rushmore Plaza Civic Center arena project in Rapid City, S.D. As reported by The Brookings Register, the crews start each day with a sequence of exercises known as “bend-and-stretch.”
Mortenson Senior Safety Engineer Max Hey told the Register that many construction firms across the nation use the practice to prevent soft-tissue injuries. In fact, the firm began its bend-and-stretch program after working with consultants in sports medicine. “We sometimes joke and call ourselves ‘construction athletes,’” he added.
According to the Register, the activity consists of a series of stretches that include workers rolling their necks from side-to-side, doing squats and touching their toes. “We’re warming our muscles up correctly so when everybody heads out to start work, their blood’s pumping and they’re ready to go,” Hey stated.
