Contrary to popular belief, working out does not increase productivity

People thought that a good way to manage the stress from work is by working out but A recent study published in the October Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) states that this is not the case. The study has proven that working out does not reduce stress levels but even more, it reduces the employee's work productivity.

The study led Jeffrey J. VanWormer, PhD, of Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, Marshfield, Wis., was conducted on a sample of 2823 employees from Minesota and it focuses on the correlation between work productivity, stress levels and physical activity. One of the conclusions drawn from this study is that regardless of other external factors, employees with high body mass index tend to be less productive. Another conclusion is that high stress levels means that the employee with be less productive.

The study revealed that there is a strong connection physical activity and stress level, after the adjustment of body mass index. Employees with many responsibilities have high levels of stress, high level of physical activity and low productivity. On the other hand, employees with little responsibilities have low stress levels, low physical activity that has little effect on productivity.

Many companies have gym in the same building as their headquarters as to offer its employees the best conditions to work out. This is because employees who use this worksite wellness programs lead to an increase in productivity.

Every individual has a defensive mechanism to cope with stress. Some who work under great stress work out a lot and work less while others may have other stress relief patterns. Business owners try to develop stress free environments but there are still certain positions within the company that project a lot of stress on the employee.

Although this study is in its early stages and it revealed many connections between productivity, stress and physical work there is still much work to be done so that we may understand better stress management and why certain individuals react to stress the way they do.