Abstract:
Objective To compare the physical fitness of professional women in Guangzhou aged 20 to 39 years old with mental or manual labour.
Methods Totally 1 332 women aged 20 to 39 years old were enrolled from kindergartens of Guangzhou city by randomized cluster sampling method and were divided into mental labour group and manual labour group by their professional characteristics.
Results The performances of grip strength(P<0.01), back strength(P>0.05)and Sit and Reach(P<0.01)in manual labour group are better than those in mental labour group. The performances of situp, standing height jump, 10& #215;4 shuttle run, choice reaction time and one-leg stand in mental labour group are better than those in manual labour group.
Conclusion The manual labour cannot improve the overall physical fitness of professional young and middle-aged women. Hence it is not a reasonable measure to improve the overall physical fitness by manual labour.