When I had problems with my fingers, and more recently, with my back, I took therapy that consisted of exercises and even heat. Generically, this is referred to as physical and occupational therapy.
In this sense, the exercises were not meant to occupy persons who have nothing else to do, but to help people whose occupations lead to physical problems--today many will suffer repetitive stress injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Maybe, some people don't care about what they are doing--certainly many information technologists have nothing invested in their work; others have a greater involvement in what they do, and seek not to experience pain when they do it, and even more, to be efficient when they do it--playing the piano, for instance.