Exercise to improve your work performance

World wide, 1.4 billion adults are inactive, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men do not engage in adequate physical activity. In fact, physical activity levels have not improved since 2001, and the lack of physical activity is twice as severe in high-income countries as it is in low-income countries.

In 2018, to combat the negative effects of physical inactivity, world health organization (WHO) has launched a global action plan aimed at reducing physical inactivity by 15% by 2030. By promoting physical activity and encouraging individuals to exercise regularly, WHO aims to maximize the benefits of physical activity and prevent and control non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease. . It prevents disease (including coronary heart disease and stroke), various types of cancer, improves overall physical and mental health, sharpens cognitive abilities, and ensures healthy growth and development.

Although the benefits of physical activity for general well-being are widely recognized, research into how it affects work outcomes, such as job performance and health, is lacking. This is even more important as various new working modes offer greater flexibility and convenience. But since many of us no longer have to commute to work or walk from meeting to meeting, we’ve found ourselves sitting more and moving less.

Effects of physical activity on work performance

Given that most of our waking hours are spent at work to support WHO’s efforts to increase physical activity, Recent research It points to several important effects of physical activity related to work.

Approximately 200 employees from the UK and China participated in a 10-day survey, collecting self-reported and objective physical activity data (via wearable smart band devices), and self-reported and supervisor-reported work performance. bottom. We uncovered some notable findings on the impact of daily physical activity on employees and organizations.

Physical activity motivation predicts physical activity.

It may seem obvious, but motivated Participating in activities Are doing But anyone who’s ever made a New Year’s resolution and then abandoned it knows that this isn’t always the case.people’s autonomous motivationstable individual differences that reflect the degree to which people feel self-determined to participate in a behavior are important. personal resources It may encourage individuals to participate in physical activity. Importantly, the more autonomous forms of motivation, in other words, the more people see physical activity as fun and enjoyable rather than scary, the more likely they are to engage in daily physical activity. is.

Physical activity generates work-related resources for the next day.

We found that daily physical activity generated a package of resources for the next day, called a “resource caravan,” which contributed to work-related outcomes.

The first resource immediately provided by physical activity is quality sleep, or a person’s satisfaction with their daily sleep experience. Physical activity boosts protein synthesis and promotes quality sleep as a homeostatic feedback process that benefits the body and brain. Acquisition of the second resource is vitality, an emotional resource associated with energy and vitality. Acquisition of the third resource task focusa cognitive resource that supports enhanced information processing, attention and focus.

Physical activity improves work performance and health the next day.

Existing research on the effects of physical activity at work focuses on physical activity at work. specific period (e.g., exercise on your lunch break), ignoring consideration of physical activity throughout the day. This further contributes to inconsistent results, as employees perceive a depletion of resources (such as energy and concentration) immediately after physical activity, which can actually interfere with their work. It is

All this indicates that the following things can happen: it takes a while Experience the benefits of work-related physical activity. Sure enough, our study found benefits from staggered physical activity. the next day Work performance, creativity and health symptoms. Through two studies, employees’ daily physical activity throughout the day generated a resource caravan of physical (sleep), emotional (vitality), and cognitive (task focus) resources that contributed to the next day’s I have consistently found that it contributes more to work performance and health. produce results in different ways. Physical and emotional resources can help reduce daily body pain. Cognitive resources contribute more to the performance of daily tasks. And emotional and cognitive resources are stronger predictors of self-rated creative performance.

Job self-efficacy shapes the ability to acquire resources from physical activity

work self-efficacyreflects employees’ perceptions of their ability to perform work, amplifying the resource-generating benefits of daily physical activity for sleep quality and task concentration. People with higher levels of self-efficacy tend to have stronger positive beliefs about their motivation and ability to acquire work-related resources from daily physical activity.

how to get more physical

If you find yourself moving less while working remotely, here are three research-backed ways you can reap the many benefits of getting more physical activity.

Focus on building a habit of daily physical activity.

Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly. If you don’t get immediate work-related benefits from physical activity, don’t be discouraged. Our study specifically explored the next-day benefits of staggered physical activity, demonstrating significant resource increases contributing to performance and health payouts. Focus on building new healthy habits every day and you’ll see results over time.

Remember, it’s better to have something than nothing.

We often tell ourselves (including ourselves!) not to do physical activity because we are too tired, hungry, stressed, or busy. Our findings reflect the WHO view that some physical activity is better than no activity at all. To realize the health benefits and minimize the adverse health effects of sedentary behavior, WHO recommends that adults aged 18-64 years receive at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, or at least It recommends engaging in 1.25 hours of vigorous-intensity physical activity.

Our study identified that moderate-intensity physical activity was the most effective in gaining physical, emotional, and cognitive resources, with additional benefits for next-day work performance, creativity, and health outcomes. It has been. Considering that low-intensity physical activity requires longer commitments to gain resources and high-intensity physical activity can be more prone to injury, moderate-intensity activity is more feasible for many people. A possible goal. Furthermore, we found that even 20 minutes of brief physical activity each day was enough to generate resources that contributed to employees’ next day’s work performance and health.

Whether you want to or not, let’s move anyway!

Our research revealed that even exercise-averse employees can benefit from daily physical activity. We also found that self-motivated people were more likely to participate in physical activity. This suggests that the ‘fun factor’ is a major driver of physical activity engagement. So find activities that make exercise less painful and more enjoyable. If bootcamp sessions aren’t your thing, try a challenging hiking or boxing class. The next time you want to sit on your comfy couch instead of exercising, just aim for 20 minutes.

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If you want to improve your performance at work, try to incorporate more physical activity into your day. Your body will thank you and your mind will reward you with more energy, better focus on work, and increased creativity.