We keep hearing about how obesity can be a dangerous risk to your physical health, but according to a study from Israel in the Journal of Applied Psychology, avoiding exercise can also take a toll on your mental health, leading to depression and greater burnout rates at work.
Researchers found that employees who engaged in physical activity were less likely to experience a deterioration of their mental health, including symptoms of burnout and depression. The best benefits were achieved among those exercising for four hours per week – they were approximately half as likely to experience deterioration in their mental state as those who did no physical activity.
Depression is a clinical mood disorder, and burnout is defined by physical, cognitive, and emotional exhaustion. Both contribute to a possible “spiral of loss” where the loss of one resource, such as a job, could have a domino effect and lead to the loss of other resources such as one’s home, marriage, or sense of self-worth.
The study was originally designed to examine the relationship between depression and burnout by assessing the personal, occupational, and psychological states of 1,632 healthy workers in both the private and public sectors. Participants completed questionnaires when they came to medical clinics for routine check-ups and had three follow-up appointments over a period of nine years.
The results indicate that an increase in depression predicts an increase in job burnout over time, and vice versa. But for the first time, the researchers also considered the participants’ levels of physical activity, defined as any activity that increases heart rate and makes you sweat. The participants were divided into four groups: one that did not engage in physical activity; a second that did 75 to 150 minutes of physical activity a week; a third that did 150 to 240 minutes a week; and a fourth that did more than 240 minutes a week.
Depression and burnout rates were clearly the highest among the group that did not participate in physical activity. The more physical activity that participants engaged in, the less likely they were to experience elevated depression and burnout levels during the next three years. The optimal amount of physical activity was a minimum of 150 minutes per week, where its benefits really started to take effect. In those who engaged in 240 minutes of physical activity or more, the impact of burnout and depression was almost nonexistent. But even 150 minutes a week will have a positive impact.
Exercise and being fit helps people to deal with their workday, improving self-efficacy and self-esteem, and preventing the spiral of loss. Most stress management programs focus on reducing stressful situations such as workload and the environment. However, as successful as these might be, life still throws us some stressful situations to deal with. Being fit and exercising regularly is the best way to be prepared as the Scouts would say.
You can’t, and don’t want to, remove all stress from your life (only dead people have no stress), but being fit is your best defense against the negative effects of stress.
Depression is a clinical mood disorder, and burnout is defined by physical, cognitive, and emotional exhaustion. Both contribute to a possible “spiral of loss” where the loss of one resource, such as a job, could have a domino effect and lead to the loss of other resources such as one’s home, marriage, or sense of self-worth.
The study was originally designed to examine the relationship between depression and burnout by assessing the personal, occupational, and psychological states of 1,632 healthy workers in both the private and public sectors. Participants completed questionnaires when they came to medical clinics for routine check-ups and had three follow-up appointments over a period of nine years.
The results indicate that an increase in depression predicts an increase in job burnout over time, and vice versa. But for the first time, the researchers also considered the participants’ levels of physical activity, defined as any activity that increases heart rate and makes you sweat. The participants were divided into four groups: one that did not engage in physical activity; a second that did 75 to 150 minutes of physical activity a week; a third that did 150 to 240 minutes a week; and a fourth that did more than 240 minutes a week.
Depression and burnout rates were clearly the highest among the group that did not participate in physical activity. The more physical activity that participants engaged in, the less likely they were to experience elevated depression and burnout levels during the next three years. The optimal amount of physical activity was a minimum of 150 minutes per week, where its benefits really started to take effect. In those who engaged in 240 minutes of physical activity or more, the impact of burnout and depression was almost nonexistent. But even 150 minutes a week will have a positive impact.
Exercise and being fit helps people to deal with their workday, improving self-efficacy and self-esteem, and preventing the spiral of loss. Most stress management programs focus on reducing stressful situations such as workload and the environment. However, as successful as these might be, life still throws us some stressful situations to deal with. Being fit and exercising regularly is the best way to be prepared as the Scouts would say.
You can’t, and don’t want to, remove all stress from your life (only dead people have no stress), but being fit is your best defense against the negative effects of stress.
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