Study on Seamen's physical Exercise (I) : Back Ground and Actual Status

Abstract

In this report, the back ground of seamen's physical exercise on the basis of the studies on their labor and its actual status from out research were explained and in conclusion the authors gave suggestions what seamen's physical exercise should be. From the studies on seamen's labor after the second world war, we could find many problems of seamen's health For example, the most basic elements to keep one's health as sleep, nourishment, physique, diseases, injuries, and character, have been pointed as follows; A. SLEEP.. A number of seamen felt a lack of sleep due to vibration, noise, heat etc. B. NOURISHMENT.. Many seamen had no good appetite and unbalance in taking of nourishment was observed. C. PHYSIQUE.. Most of them have fine bodies but their physical strengths were not good enough . D. DISEASES AND INJURIES.. There were many seamen's diseases and injuries, which put a number of seamen under medical treatment. E. character.. Seamen were not necessarily aggressive to do something that they have not ever done. In other words, their attitudes are generally negative to improve anything including betterment of their health. Though some of the studies pointed necessity of physical exercise and we believe that it is the best way to help solve these problems, the actual status of it which have been made clear from our research in 1964 on actual status of interest in physical exercises, using a question sheet, on 788 seamen and 379 employees on land employed by certain marine transportation company has been as follows; Many seamen ware realizing a lack of physical exercises and they felt keenly the necessity to take exercise for their health, however, the actual status on board was not vigorous due to many restrictions including special circumstances which are peculiar to their labour.