Relationship between occupational and leisure-time physical activity and the need for recovery after work

Abstract Background Health benefits of physical activity are very well acknowledged but the role of both occupational physical activity (OPA) and leisure time physical activity (LTPA) in recovery after work is not thoroughly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between accelerometer-measured OPA and LTPA and the need for recovery after work (NFR) in early childhood education and care (ECEC) professionals. Methods The study participants were 217 female ECEC professionals aged 17–64. Physical activity was recorded with a three-axis accelerometer (ActiGraph GT9X Link, ActiGraph, USA) for seven consecutive days. Separate analyses were conducted for both OPA a…