Workplace Foam Roller Exercise for Hotel Housekeepers: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Hotel housekeepers face multiple serious work-induced hazards that can cause occupational disabilities affecting their health. This study investigated the short-term impact of a foam roller exercise as an intervention to improve hotel housekeeper range of motion (ROM). Researchers conducted a quasi-experimental study among hotel housekeepers at two hotels. Five housekeepers at the first hotel participated in 30-minute per day group foam roller exercises during a six-week study period. Seven housekeepers at the second hotel served as a comparison group, not participating in the exercises but completing the range of motion measurements at the beginning and end of the study. Interviews were conducted among the experimental exercise group to obtain their personal feedback regarding the foam roller exercises. This study found significantly improved range of motion in the shoulders, hips, and wrists of the exercise group after six weeks of daily foam roller exercises. No significant changes in range of motion were found in the comparison group. Qualitative data collected from interviews with exercise participants revealed the following benefits of the group foam roller exercises: muscle relaxation, reduction of body pain, providing a feeling of overall wellness, enhancing energy, and improving team relationships. This study provides evidence that foam roller exercises may be an effective intervention to improve range of motion for hotel housekeepers and may mitigate their body pain induced by their cleaning tasks. Foam rollers are user-friendly and cost-effective and can be used by hotel housekeepers or workers involved in physically demanding jobs as recovery tools.