With a view to promoting workers' mental health, minimizing professional stress and fatigue, we investigate the meaning of work, leisure and their implications for 24 male workers at a São Paulo hospital school, who are part of a soccer team and attend the recreation association of this unit. We chose to realize Research-Action from a humanist, qualitative approach, analyzing discourse according to categories, to be of help in elaborating the educational project. Data were collected through interviews and participant observation, using photography as a support instrument. Most participants are married, have children, receive an average salary of R$ 650.00 and work near the unit, which favors contact for games. In their opinion, work guarantees personal and family survival, while leisure means fun, relaxing, integration and valorizing family and friends. They emphasize the importance of challenge in soccer as a means of promoting health, rescuing self-esteem, happiness, freedom, creativity, spontaneity, resulting in better preparation for personal and professional life.
health promotion; work; leisure activities
