Why exercise matters in the veterinary profession

In an interview with dvm360, Aaron Shaw, OTR/L, CHT, CSCS, host of the podcast Healthspan Digest, discussed various aspects of wellness in the veterinary profession. In this video, Shaw talks about the benefits of exercise, and how it can expand the career longevity, or “vetspan,” of veterinary professionals.

Below is a partial transcript, lightly edited for clarity:

Aaron Shaw, OTR/L, CHT, CSCS: So what I would say about exercise and its impact on the career span, or what I call the ‘vetspan’ for people in the vet team, is really, the physiological benefits are so vast, from mental clarity to improving sleep—and we already know there are benefits to having great sleep; well, exercise will help you improve sleep.

It improves metabolism. It improves resting metabolic rate, bone density, muscles. And I think that the sad truth is that as we age, and especially once you're past 30 years old, we lose muscle strength, and we lose muscle size, and 30 years old is actually very young—[speaking as] somebody whose ‘30 years old,’ as was decades ago at this point—but to imagine that without intervention, without doing something intentionally, once we kind of pass through our early 30s and mid-30s, there's kind of a downward slope...of muscles.

And at the same time—correct me if I'm wrong—but dogs aren't getting any lighter. The physical demands of being in a vet clinic [aren’t] getting any easier. So, there's this conflict where, you know, people tend to be getting weaker, yet the demands of work are at least staying the same, if not getting even more challenging over time.

So, physical exercise, having the physical capacity to, you know, both the strength and the endurance, to not only get through Monday, but also Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and day as a day. Plus, of course, there's a million things to do outside of the office that take that demand. So by exercising consistently, and this doesn't have to be, you know, gold-gym-body-builder-type-exercise, but even 15 minutes a day of really thoughtful exercises that would really specifically support those that are in the vet clinic have a huge benefit to decreasing the risk of injury...making work literally feel easier, and all of the other you know, metabolic benefits from exercise.