Work hardening helps clients combat what issue as they prepare to meet the physical demands of a job?

Work hardening is a structured program designed to restore an individual’s functional capacity to meet the demands of a particular job or occupation. This process primarily targets de-conditioning, which refers to the physical decline in strength, endurance, and overall fitness that may occur due to injury, illness, or prolonged inactivity. By participating in a work hardening program, clients engage in exercises and activities that closely simulate the physical demands of their job. This helps them regain their necessary strength and endurance, effectively combating de-conditioning.

While the other options may represent different physical or psychological states, they do not specifically capture the primary focus of work hardening. For instance, over-conditioning involves exceeding physical capacity, chronic fatigue relates to persistent exhaustion regardless of activity levels, and physical disinterest does not necessarily correlate with the program's objective of restoring physical function for work-related tasks. Thus, the emphasis on overcoming de-conditioning through tailored physical tasks makes this option the most relevant in the context of work hardening.