Physical work load in physical education teachers

The main objective was to measure and quantify exposure to physical work lo ad in physical education teachers. A further aim was to establish the repro ducibility of a three-week test-retest interval of self-reported physical l oad and to evaluate the agreement between registered and self-rated physica l load. Thirty teachers, both female and male, volunteered to participate i n the study. The physical load on the lower extremities, as well as the bac k and the cardio-vascular strain was recorded during one working day. The r esults indicate that the physical work load in this occupational group is c onsiderable due to the load on the lower extremities. The demands of the ca rdio-vascular system are also relatively high in comparison to other occupa tional groups. The teachers could assess their activity quite well regardin g heavy lifting and time spent sitting. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.