When we talk about “work readiness,” the first things that often come to mind are physical abilities – how much someone can lift, how long they can sit or stand, or whether they can walk for certain periods of time. While those things are important, there’s another piece of the puzzle that’s just as crucial: cognitive capacity. After all, being able to show up physically doesn’t mean much if someone can’t concentrate, solve problems, or handle the mental demands of their job.
As exercise physiologists, part of our role is to give an opinion on someone’s work capacity. While physical capacity is easy to objectively assess, cognitive capacity can be a murky territory. Of course, a client’s self-report of their capacity speaks volumes, but careful observation can also reveal more information. We’re in a unique position because we have the luxury of extended time with clients during our sessions, giving us the chance to notice the little things – subtle changes in focus, lapses in accuracy, or even body language that tells us they’re tiring mentally. These observations often tell us as much as the structured exercises themselves, and they help to strengthen our recommendations.
Mental Endurance in Real Time
Just like muscles, the brain has a “stamina factor.” Someone might be switched on and focused for a short burst, but that doesn’t always translate into lasting performance across a workday. One of the simplest ways we assess cognitive stamina is by looking at how clients handle tasks over time. For example, we might notice that someone is sharp and accurate in the first 10 minutes of a session but starts making mistakes or slowing down later in the session. It might be something as straightforward as following a written program, remembering sets and reps, filling out a spreadsheet or engaging in conversation. If accuracy drops or they need repeated prompting, it provides insight into cognitive capacity across an hour, or more, of work.
Executive Functioning In Action
Executive functioning is the brain’s ability to plan, organise, and switch between multiple responsibilities. It’s the same skill you use at home when cooking dinner while keeping an eye on the kids, remembering to hang out the laundry, and still making it to an appointment on time. In the workplace, this translates to shifting smoothly between emails, meetings, and deadlines without losing sight of the bigger picture.
During our sessions, we observe how clients navigate and coordinate competing demands in their environment. For instance, how do they respond to interruptions mid session, like a phone call, or someone else using their machine at the gym? (a concept known as cognitive flexibility) Do they make it to their sessions on time, and can they keep track of their different appointments and responsibilities? Can they strategise and plan ahead to overcome challenges? These observations give us valuable insight into how they might handle the constant juggling act of daily work and life.
Managing Administrative Tasks
We also gain important clues about cognitive capacity by observing how clients handle administrative tasks during sessions. This includes activities like filling out paperwork or questionnaires, documenting independent exercise sessions, or being consistent with taking daily health measurements such as heart rate or HRV scores. How efficiently and accurately they manage these tasks – whether they follow instructions, stay organised, or need repeated prompting – provides insight into their attention to detail, memory, and overall organisation. These everyday skills mirror workplace demands, where managing multiple streams of information and completing tasks correctly and on time is essential.
Self Awareness and Pacing
Observing how clients recognise and respond to their own limits can reveal a lot about their cognitive capacity. Some push through fatigue without acknowledging the struggle, while others underestimate their abilities and stop sooner than necessary. Both extremes offer valuable insights: difficulty recognising when to take a break may signal challenges with pacing at work, while a lack of confidence can lead to avoiding normal duties even when fully capable. These behaviours in sessions often mirror how clients manage workload and self-regulation in the workplace.
The Bigger Picture of Work Readiness
Cognitive capacity is just as important as physical ability when it comes to returning to work, and exercise physiology sessions give us a unique window into both. By observing how clients manage mental endurance, executive functioning, administrative tasks, and their own pacing, we gain practical insights into how they might cope with the real-world demands of their job. These observations go beyond sets and reps; they highlight how someone organises, adapts, and sustains performance across a day. When combined with physical assessments, this bigger picture allows us to provide recommendations that support not just a safe return to work, but a confident and sustainable one.
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