The Power of Prevention

If you’ve ever slathered on sunscreen, rolled up your sleeve for a flu shot, or had your car’s oil changed before 10,000 miles, you know the power of prevention. Why risk frying your skin, getting waylaid by the flu, or damaging your vehicle’s engine if there’s a relatively easy way to avoid it?

The same goes for work-related pain and injuries: You can reduce your risk of getting sidelined from your job (and the rest of your life) with an exercise therapy routine from Hinge Health.

So congrats on taking your first step toward a healthier lifestyle by joining our wellness program. Got some questions about what to expect next? We thought you might, so let’s talk.

What is Hinge Health’s Wellness Program, exactly?

Hinge Health is an exercise-focused program specially designed to help you build strength, increase flexibility, and develop resilience to help you stay healthy and avoid injuries, pain, stiffness, and weakness. It includes:

• Exercise therapy: You'll receive personalized exercise sessions (called playlists) from our library of hundreds of exercises. Your exercise program is designed to provide support for the challenges of your specific type of job (e.g., prolonged sitting or standing, lifting heavy objects, etc.).

• Convenience: We know you’re busy! Playlists are quick but effective, so you can get everything you need in short (10-15 minute) sessions a few times each week. You can fit your program into your routine wherever and whenever it works for you.

• Knowledge: You’ll get curated articles and videos created by our clinical experts with tips and tools to help you live a healthy lifestyle, stay active, and prevent pain and injury.

How does Hinge Health make sure my exercises are effective?

We believe that movement is medicine. Hinge Health’s physical therapists design exercise programs to target the muscles, movements, and functions you do regularly at work, so you can build strength and flexibility.

Research shows that regular physical activity can help prevent pain and workplace injuries. One study of 70,000 Danish workers found that taking breaks to do mini workouts (short exercises to build strength) prevented long-term absences from work related to injury and illness. Another study found that doing workplace exercises three times a week helped reduce shoulder, wrist, neck, and back pain.

And reams of other studies show that being more active can improve your sleep and energy levels; reduce fatigue, anxiety, and depression; help you maintain a healthy weight; and provide many other benefits that include a longer lifespan and a lower risk of dozens of chronic diseases.

Even better: The newest research shows that the benefits of regular exercise are cumulative — it all adds up. You don’t have to exercise for one long, continuous session. You can sneak short bouts of movement into your day and see the same benefits.

Break it down for me. What should I do next?

Come back tomorrow. Consistency is key. We recommend doing at least three playlists each week (if you can do more, even better). Research shows this is the best way to build a habit and maximize your results.

Set your schedule: Your app can help you plan the days and times to do your playlists and send you reminders to help you stay on track. On the homepage of your app, tap the “Account” icon, then “Reminders” to get started.

Keep going. Your exercise playlists will start off easier and gradually get more challenging over time. You’ll accrue points to unlock progressively challenging levels.

We believe that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This Hinge Health Wellness Program will help you get moving and stay healthy. We hear from hundreds of members every day who share how this program has relieved their pain and changed their lives — and we can’t wait to help you join them.

If you need help at any time, we’re always available. For tech support, call: 855-902-2777 or email help@hingehealth.com.

See you soon for your next playlist!

References

1. Andersen, L. L., Skovlund, S. V., Vinstrup, J., Geisle, N., Sørensen, S. I., Thorsen, S. V., & Sundstrup, E. (2022). Potential of micro-exercise to prevent long-term sickness absence in the general working population: prospective cohort study with register follow-up. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 2280. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-06283-8

2. Rodrigues, E. V., Gomes, A. R. S., Tanhoffer, A. I. P., & Leite, N. (2014). Effects of exercise on pain of musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review. Acta Ortopédica Brasileira, 22(6), 334–338. doi: 10.1590/1413-78522014220601004

3. Shambrook, P., Kingsley, M. I., Taylor, N. F., Wundersitz, D. W., Wundersitz, C. E., & Gordon, B. A. (2020). Multiple short bouts of exercise are better than a single continuous bout for cardiometabolic health: a randomised crossover trial. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 120(11), 2361–2369. doi: 10.1007/s00421-020-04461-y

4. Wollseiffen, P., Ghadiri, A., Scholz, A., Strüder, H. K., Herpers, R., Peters, T., & Schneider, S. (2016). Short Bouts of Intensive Exercise During the Workday Have a Positive Effect on Neuro-cognitive Performance. Stress and Health: Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, 32(5), 514–523. doi: 10.1002/smi.2654

5. Murphy, M. H., Lahart, I., Carlin, A., & Murtagh, E. (2019). The Effects of Continuous Compared to Accumulated Exercise on Health: A Meta-Analytic Review. Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 49(10), 1585–1607. doi: 10.1007/s40279-019-01145-2

6. Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones. New York: Penguin Random House