Should We Exercise During Work?

27 Apr

Many of us understand the relationship between regular physical activity and our overall health and well being; exercise and physical activity helps us combat many chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer just to name a few. (1)

It also has positive impacts on our mental well being, improving our mood, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. (1)

What is less known, is that exercise, when incorporated into our workday, can boost our productivity and performance.

Exercise and Workplace Performance

There is a growing body of research that shows workers who exercise during their workday perform better.

One study by Coulson et al., found that workers who exercised during their lunch break reported beneficial changes that included a more positive work attitude, mood, and perspectives related to how well they completed tasks and how they related to their co-workers. On the days workers didn’t exercise, they reported lower levels of workplace performance.(2)

Another study assessed the benefits of a ‘sit less, move more’ program, where employees were encouraged to replace sitting during their workday with physical activities. The researchers found that better workplace performance was linked to employees that were more active. (3)

Exercise has also been found to combat a phenomenon known as “presenteeism” - where someone is present at work, but not fully functioning due to a health problem - as well as absenteeism and improving neck and shoulder pain, which then has a positive effect on employee productivity. (4-6)

As little as 15 minutes of exercise (!) also improves our concentration, memory and cognition (7) - all of which benefits our overall performance and productivity.

What’s the ideal exercise dose for improved work performance?

The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guideline recommends adults should be getting in at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activities every week and muscle strengthening exercises at least twice a week.

While this may seem like an insurmountable task with many of us leading busy lives, there’s good news!

Much of the research supports that durations of as little as 10 to 15 minutes at least once per week can improve our performance. For example, starting off with short ~10 minute walks during morning/afternoon breaks and/or commuting times(3), or 15 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise(7).

The exact length of time and type of exercise, whether it be low intensity walking, muscle strengthening exercises or moderate to high intensity aerobic exercise, all appear to have benefits, but don’t over do it! Exercising to the point of exhaustion won’t produce the same benefits.

So should you exercise during the workday?

Yes, as much as possible for both productivity and performance!

The added bonus of impacting mood and mental wellbeing is an asset to a proactive mental health strategy.

Leaders and companies can promote physical activity by offering opportunities to engage in physical activity at work, modelling exercise, talking about the benefits they receive from exercise, providing adequate breaks during the day and including wellness as part of everyday business operations.

Consciously design your day, or someone else will.

References

Booth, F. W., Roberts, C. K., & Laye, M. J. (2012). Lack of exercise is a major cause of chronic diseases. Comprehensive Physiology, 2, 1143–1211.
Coulson, J.C., McKenna, J. and Field, M. (2008), "Exercising at work and self‐reported work performance", International Journal of Workplace Health Management, Vol. 1 No. 3, pp. 176-197. https://doi.org/10.1108/17538350810926534
Puig-Ribera A, Bort-Roig J, Giné-Garriga M, González-Suárez AM, Martínez-Lemos I, Fortuño J, Martori JC, Muñoz-Ortiz L, Milà R, Gilson ND, McKenna J.(2017) Impact of a workplace 'sit less, move more' program on efficiency-related outcomes of office employees. BMC Public Health.May 16;17(1):455. doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4367-8.
Cancelliere, C., Cassidy, J.D., Ammendolia, C. et al. (2011) Are workplace health promotion programs effective at improving presenteeism in workers? a systematic review and best evidence synthesis of the literature. BMC Public Health 11, 395. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-11-395
Sjøgaard G, Reffstrup Christensen J, Justesen JB et al (2016) Exercise is more than medicine: The working age population's well-being and productivity, Journal of Sport and Health Science, Volume 5, Issue 2, Pages 159-165, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2016.04.004.
Grimani, A., Aboagye, E. & Kwak, L. (2019) The effectiveness of workplace nutrition and physical activity interventions in improving productivity, work performance and workability: a systematic review. BMC Public Health 19, 1676. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-8033-1
Hogan CL, Mata J, Carstensen LL. (2013) Exercise holds immediate benefits for affect and cognition in younger and older adults. Psychol Aging. Jun;28(2):587-94. doi: 10.1037/a0032634. PMID: 23795769; PMCID: PMC3768113.