Fact Check by Nick BlackmerFact Check by Nick Blackmer
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A new study based on a survey of over 500 employees has found that moderate exercise can reduce work-related burnout.
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Moderate exercise is key: Researchers found that high-intensity exercise did not reduce burnout any more than lower levels of exercise.
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To reap the benefits of physical activity, experts recommend combining vigorous and moderate intensity exercise into your weekly routine.
Many people have work experience Burnout Recent studies suggest that exercise can be beneficial up to a point, but only as long as you don’t do too much or too little.
This study Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, A survey of the work life and exercise habits of over 500 employees revealed that physical activity Mental fatigue and job satisfaction.
The researchers found that only moderate intensity exercise had an effect: Interestingly, high-intensity exercise did not reduce burnout any more than low-intensity exercise.
The general correlation between exercise and job burnout is consistent with existing research on the topic, the researchers said. Dr. Michelle Wolf Marenus“We’re seeing a lot of people with depression,” said the personality health research scientist and adjunct lecturer at George Mason University. health.
But she explained that the study “adds nuance to the intensity of physical activity and shows the impact of moderate levels of exercise on burnout.”
Here’s what else you need to know about the new study: exercise It may help reduce job burnout.
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Investigating the effects of exercise on burnout
Marenus said the concept of employer-provided exercise opportunities, such as fitness facilities and subsidies, sparked the study.
“We wanted to highlight how encouraging physical activity can have a wider impact on employees beyond their physical health,” she said.
To do this, Marenus and her colleagues asked 520 full-time employees to complete a survey about work-related stress. Physical activity habitsHe said the survey defined “moderate physical activity” as any of the following:
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Engage in vigorous exercise such as running for at least 20 minutes for at least three days
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Engage in moderate physical activity, such as strength training, dancing, or hiking, for at least 30 minutes for at least five days
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Do a combination of the two for at least five days
The researchers split the sample into low, medium, and high activity groups based on reported weekly “metabolic equivalents.” They also assessed three dimensions of burnout: emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, and Depersonalization (When employees no longer see customers as people).
Just over half of the participants (about 53%) reported participating in moderate physical activity, with the remaining participants split almost evenly between the other two groups.
In their analysis, the researchers found that participants who reported moderate exercise reported the least mental fatigue and the most sense of personal accomplishment. Depersonalization scores were similar across the three groups.
These findings are “consistent with numerous previous studies showing that moderate exercise reduces stress, improves mood, and explains reduced feelings of burnout in the workplace.” Dr. Jamie ShapiroProfessor of Psychology at the University of Denver, specializing in sports and exercise, health.
Edward de la Torre, EdD“These are the kinds of things that are going to happen,” said Associate Dean of Operations at Chapman University’s Crean School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, who was not involved in the study. health Overall, “This research has both academic and practical value.”
“The quantitative studies and analyses are sound, and the correlation between increased physical activity and reduced burnout seems intuitive to me,” he said.
But the study has some limitations: The team relied on self-reported data, which tends to be inaccurate, and the number of participants was small: “Ideally, 1,000 or 2,000 people would be better,” Marenus says.
Related: What is job burnout and how to deal with it
Why moderate exercise increases job satisfaction
According to Marenus, exercise may reduce job burnout because it provides time away from work, giving employees “an opportunity to recover from work-related problems.” Additionally, physical activity allows employees to “replenish their resources.” Cardiovascular Healthmood, emotion regulation, and memory.
De la Torre also noted that people who exercise may feel more confident and in control because of, or are enhanced by, physical activity, which may make them less likely to experience burnout.
but why High-intensity training So is vigorous exercise more beneficial than moderate exercise? Marenus says one possibility is that the study’s sample size didn’t include enough participants engaging in vigorous exercise, but he thinks a more likely reason is that juggling work responsibilities with a rigorous training routine like training for a marathon may simply be too much of a strain.
Another explanation has to do with chemicals released during high-intensity exercise. “High-intensity exercise, especially over a long period of time, leads to increased release of cortisol in the human body, making us more susceptible to emotional stress and mental fatigue,” de la Torre says. “Therefore, moderate exercise appears to be related to overall balance and health.”
Exercise strategies to combat burnout
Marenus said an ideal weekly routine would involve three to five days of “very intense” exercise, combined with “days where your heart rate is elevated but you can still talk.”
Examples of the latter include brisk walking, cycling, yoga, gentle swimming and pickleball, Shapiro said.
Marenus said there are small ways too. Increase your activity “Encourage walking in our lives, from taking stairs to parking our cars further away from buildings.”
De la Torre noted that to reap the general benefits of physical activity, most experts recommend 45 minutes of exercise at least three to four days a week, while others recommend up to 75 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise five to six days a week.
“It takes about seven weeks of sustained effort to see biological changes in the human body,” he said.
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