Benefits of Exercise: Exercise and Work-Related Stress
There’s no doubt about it. Unless you’re working a dream job, it’s challenging to balance the demands of work and home life. Working eight hours a day can be a real energy zapper, leaving little energy to take home with you. Plus, it’s easy to carry job-related stress out of the office where it can impact your home life. Family and home issues can also make your life more challenging at work. When you’re worrying about what’s going on at home, it’s hard to focus on what you need to do on the job. Can exercise help you achieve a better balance between work and home life?
According to a study published in Human Resource Management, regular workouts can help keep your work and home life more balanced. When researchers surveyed a group of almost 500 adults about work and home-related stress, they made an interesting discovery. Working men and women that exercised regularly felt more capable of balancing the demands of home and work.
This isn’t the first study to show exercise improves work performance. A study carried out at the University of Bristol found employees felt more in control of their time and were able to accomplish more on days they exercised. What’s the number one reason people give for not working out? Lack of time. This study suggests that exercising actually makes you more productive during the time you’re working.
How can working help you better balance your work and home life? For one, it’s a stress reliever and a way to “blow off steam.” How so? Intense exercise stimulates the release of stress-relieving chemicals called endorphins that give you a sense of well-being. That’s helpful after you’ve spent a hard day dealing with a demanding job. For some people, exercise is also an “escape,” a time they can relax their mind and not think about their “to do” list and the problems they have to deal with at work or home.
Working out also builds self-esteem and gives you a sense that you’re more in control of your body and the environment you live and work in. Plus, research shows exercise makes it easier to deal with anger and frustration. In addition, exercise has a calming effect, likely due to its effects on brain chemicals like serotonin.
In animals, exercise “turns on” a number of genes that regulate mood. In addition, some research in humans shows working out helps to relieve anxiety and depression as effectively as prescription medications – and it certainly has fewer side effects. In fact, it has good effects like helping to control body weight. It also builds a stronger heart, bones, and muscles.
Can Exercise Make You More Successful at Work?
More companies are encouraging employees to exercise, even if they have to do it on company time. There’s a reason for that. Employees that are physically active are more productive on the job. Some research shows employees that exercise at work get more done than those that don’t even though they spend less time working. Exercise increases stamina so you can accomplish more during the hours you’re working.
Other research shows exercise increases “self-efficiency.” Self-efficiency is the belief that you can succeed. When you have greater self-efficiency, you’re less afraid to tackle new tasks and are more likely to see them as challenges to take on rather than threats to avoid. The same focus and energy you apply to a workout translates into better performance and productivity at work. Plus, the stress-reducing benefits make the hours you spend at work and with your family less stressful and more enjoyable.
Exercise and Work Performance: The Time Your Spend Exercising is an Investment
Sure, exercise it takes time away from other things BUT you make up for that time. That’s because exercise gives you greater stamina, motivation, and focus. This helps you get more accomplished with the time you have. Exercise is also an investment in your mental and physical health.
The Bottom Line?
Next time you feel like skipping your workout because you don’t have time, think about how it makes you more productive and helps you take better advantage of the time you have. Then think about the long-term investment for your health. Exercise lowers the risk of a number of diseases and has longevity benefits as well. When things get stressful at work or you feel burned out, that’s when you need a workout the most. So lace up your exercise shoes and do something good for yourself. You’ll feel better afterward.
References:
Science Daily. “Want a Better Work-Life Balance? Exercise, Study Finds”
Deseret News. “Balancing act: Exercise helps productivity, work/life balance”
Len Kravitz, Ph.D. “Exercise and Psychological Health”
WebMD. “Exercise May Ward Off Anger”
Nature Medicine 13, 1476 – 1482 (2007)
Harvard Health Publications. “Exercise and Depression”
Science Daily.” Exercise at Work Boosts Productivity, Swedish Researchers Find”
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