The Stress-Exercise-Productivity Connection

Picked up this interesting link on the new Training Daily blog from Runners’ World.

Exercise may help workers feel less stressed, but it could also make them work less, a new study suggests.

The researchers noted that this indicates stress management is essential to improving productivity in the workplace.

The report goes on to say that workers who are report high levels of stress and are physically active are less productive than workers who report high levels of stress and are not physically active.

However, the study found that workers with a higher BMI are less productive, no matter what their stress levels were.

“This may indicate that some individuals essentially cope with high levels of stress by exercising more and working less,” the study authors wrote in a journal news release. They concluded that stress management is “at least as economically relevant” to encouraging good health and productivity among workers as other lifestyle factors.

I find that walking to and from work every day makes a huge difference in my stress levels on any given day. Part of it is, I think, the ritual of taking the time to leave my home and transition to work. And part of it is just being outside and getting fresh air in the morning.

I know that walking to work made me much more productive today, because on my walk in, there was a car accident and a woman’s SUV went nose-first into the canal.

Thankfully I had spent all night fixing my iPhone so I had the tools to whip together a video and a story on our website within an hour of the accident.

The iPhone is so the greatest reporting tool ever. Anyway.

The stress-exercise article reminded me of this tweet that came across my timeline the other day:

[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/michelleminkoff/status/124896934925320192″]

I thought this response was especially good:

[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/AnthonyDB/status/124898524776251392″]

Something to keep in mind when you’re feeling especially busy. Happy hump day!

Pattie Reaves

About Pattie Reaves

I'm a new mom and renegade fitness blogger at After the Couch. I live in Brewer with my husband, Tony, our daughter Felicity, and our two pugs, Georgia and Scoop.