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Moderate exercise linked to reduced burnout and higher job satisfaction among employees

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Moderate exercise linked to reduced burnout and higher job satisfaction among employees

Researchers at the U-M School of Kinesiology wanted to understand the relationship between physical activity and workplace burnout, says Michele Marenus, a former doctoral student whose adviser was the study’s principal investigator, Weiyun Chen.

Chen is an associate professor of applied exercise science and director of the Physical Activity & Health Laboratory, where the research was conducted. The study was part of a major research project led by Marenus at the PAHL.

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The study’s implications extend to workplace dynamics such as team engagement, turnover, morale and the “subtler yet impactful phenomenon called ‘quiet quitting,’” the researchers wrote. Their research did not directly examine quiet quitting, a term that was recently coined to describe employees who put in the minimum required effort at work, but do not resign.

The root cause is thought to be burnout, which is characterized by three primary symptoms: extreme fatigue, a sense of doubt and disengagement toward work, and feelings of inadequacy and unproductiveness.

The researchers surveyed 520 full-time employees about their physical activity and workplace burnout. They divided the sample into low-, medium- and high-activity groups, then looked at differences across the three subscales of the burnout inventory: emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment and depersonalization to understand the ways in which employees felt job burnout.

Among participants, 23% reported low activity, 60% moderate activity and 25% high levels of activity.

“The findings illuminate the positive impact of physical activity on workplace outlook and personal satisfaction. Employees are aware that burnout is an enormous problem for their workforce,” said Marenus, now a research scientist at Personify Health and an adjunct faculty member at George Mason University.

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Findings include:

  • The moderate-activity group was less emotionally exhausted than the low-activity group.
  • The low-activity group felt more personal accomplishment than both the high and moderate groups.
  • There was no significant difference in depersonalization (when employees no longer see customers as human beings) scores among the three groups.
  • High-intensity activity did not reduce emotional exhaustion or enhance personal accomplishment more than moderate activity.

“Employees experiencing low physical activity may feel less engaged and motivated, gradually disengaging from their roles without formally resigning, resulting in reduced productivity and a lack of enthusiasm for their work,” said study first author Brandon Albedry, a former research assistant at the PAHL laboratory who is now a client solutions analyst at Addepar.

The fact that the high-intensity exercise group did not see greater benefits than the moderate activity group challenges the notion that more is better, the researchers say.

We don’t need to engage in crazy amounts of activity to see benefits. Feeling the pressure to do so may actually cause a negative impact.”


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Michele Marenus

The takeaway for employers is that promoting exercise can lead to happier, healthier workers, as well as lower employee turnover, higher productivity and cost reductions. Accommodations like walking desks, onsite workout facilities, gym subsidies and flexible schedules can help.

Employees should remember that they don’t need high-intensity exercise to feel better—moderate activities like brisk walking or cycling can reduce burnout symptoms, the researchers say. Intensity of physical activity is important because moderate activity is more sustainable and has less risk of injury.

“Moderate to vigorous physical activity (also) promotes an increase in a level of protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor,” Marenus said. “BDNF improves important things like brain health, cognitive function and mental health. This protein stays high in the brain even for a period after MVPA, which can benefit an individuals’ overall health.”

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Can’t Get To The Gym RN? I’m Opting For Plank Shoulder Taps After A PT Confirmed They’re The Most Effective Home Move

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Can’t Get To The Gym RN? I’m Opting For Plank Shoulder Taps After A PT Confirmed They’re The Most Effective Home Move

How many times have you said, “I can’t believe it’s December already,” this year? If your answer veers somewhere between “a fair few” and “honestly, I’ve lost count”, you’re in good company. It’s become the seasonal equivalent of asking about the weather – a reliable go-to as the year starts winding down. And while I’ll spare you the usual cosy festive clichés, December is the month when gym plans loosen, and most of us swap weighted plates for quality time and mince pies.

Still, if moving your body is something that helps you feel grounded, there’s no reason you can’t carve out little pockets for it over the festive period (just as there’s absolutely no shame in pressing pause altogether). Research consistently shows that even short bursts of exercise can support both mental and physical health, which is why keeping one or two genuinely effective, at-home moves in your back pocket can be a lifesaver when festive stress starts simmering.

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Applying the Stoic Cardinal Virtues for Both Optimal Performance and Longevity

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Applying the Stoic Cardinal Virtues for Both Optimal Performance and Longevity

Making healthy, sustainable choices for our health and fitness can often feel like a secondary goal, always on the back burner. The philosophy of Stoicism, originating in Greece and refined in Rome, offers a timeless framework for living well. Its four cardinal virtues, taught by philosophers such as Plato, are wisdom, courage, justice and temperance. These virtues can help you navigate health, wellness and fitness decisions with clarity and purpose by helping you:

  • Make healthier choices (moderation in food/drink; exercise)
  • Reduce stress through focusing on what’s controllable
  • Push outside your comfort zone to grow
  • Act responsibly for our community
  • Find peace by accepting mortality

Together, these lead to a more virtuous, less anxious, and purposeful life, which inherently supports well-being and longer, better living. 

Wisdom (Understanding/Learning)

Wisdom starts with learning, but it also requires understanding what is truly within your control: your judgments, actions and responses. Working out for an hour a day is the easy part of the fitness goal. The other waking hours of making healthy choices are the more challenging parts of the goal. In health and fitness, this means focusing on your habits and mindset rather than worrying about uncontrollable outcomes such as genetics or trendy social media posts from fitness influencers selling supplements. In a nutshell, use wisdom in these three ways to improve health, fitness and wellness: 

  • Control what you can control. Do this especially when faced with setbacks, such as a missed workout or a slip in diet. Redirect your energy toward what you can do next, not what you cannot change.
  • Seek facts, not opinions. Approach nutrition, exercise plans and wellness advice with an objective mind that is based on science. Avoid emotional reactions and look for evidence-based information.
  • Make sound choices. Use reason to evaluate what’s beneficial or harmful for your training and nutrition, avoiding extreme diets or fad workout routines. 

 

Courage (to Push Outside Your Comfort Zone)

Courage is not just about bravery. Courage is more about enduring discomfort and doing the right thing, especially when it’s hard. In your fitness journey, this means pushing through challenges and facing fears, such as trying a new activity or simply walking into a gym for the first time. The courage to challenge yourself with activities you are new to or not good at doing will help you become a well-rounded exerciser with performance and longevity goals. Try these three ways to add courage that enables you to make better decisions:

  • Accept the discomfort that comes with growth, whether it’s physical strain in exercise or emotional struggle in changing habits.
  • Remain focused on your goals and health commitments. Prioritize sleep, rest or recovery, and along with not skipping training days, even when external pressures tempt you otherwise.
  • Act objectively and see your circumstances as they are, not how you wish them to be, and respond realistically to challenges. Assess your progress regularly.

Justice (Fairness and Kindness)

Justice is about treating others and yourself with fairness, kindness and respect. In fitness, much is passed down from the older generation to the younger. Be that person who shares what you know with the next generation. This means supporting a positive training environment, whether at the gym, in group classes or among friends and family.

  • Treat others well by showing encouragement to people at every stage of their health journey, regardless of ability or background. This is powerful in people’s lives and makes you feel good, too.
  • Serve others by sharing knowledge, motivating workout partners, family members, and contributing to a supportive culture of activity to help others build the habit of fitness. Justice is also holding each other accountable.
  • Teach and communicate about your experiences, failures, and successes with humility. Having others learn from your mistakes and experiences is a smart way to communicate with the younger generation and beginners to fitness.

Temperance (Moderation and Discipline)

Temperance is discipline. None of these works can be done without discipline. We must learn to manage desires, impulses and habits to avoid excess in anything. In fitness and wellness, this virtue is vital for long-term success and well being. Training needs to be balanced with recovery, and this takes discipline to make some days easier than others. Too much of any good thing becomes a bad thing.

  • Avoid too much food, social media, supplements or even exercise. Balance is key to optimal performance, longevity and long-term goal achievement.
  • Manage impulsive responses to stress, frustration or temptation, choosing actions that keep you on track with your values and goals.
  • Practice discipline by doing things that are good for you, even when you do not want to.  Working out daily is often the easy part. The rest of the day, when food choices are tempting us to cheat on our diet, is the hardest for most people.

For many who find comfort in making the easy options or cheating on diets, you can also experience the same comfort (dopamine hit) by not doing it and choosing the healthier choice. These four virtues work together to flip the switch on how your body responds to new disciplined actions. For example, justice requires wisdom to discern the right action. Then, it takes courage to act on those insights and push yourself outside the comfort zone. Finally, deciding to be disciplined and hold firm is the temperance that avoids selfishness or excess. In your health journey, applying all four virtues helps you stay resilient, make thoughtful choices, and build a sense of purpose and connection.

You can also use the Military.com Fitness Section to aid your health, wellness, and fitness journey. There are thousands of articles and videos full of practical tools for building resilience, mitigating stress and disciplined living for optimal performance and longevity. By focusing on what you can control, acting with courage and kindness to others, and practicing self-discipline, you create a foundation for lasting health and wellness, not just for yourself, but for the wider community as well.

Want to Learn More About Military Life?

Whether you’re thinking of joining the military, looking for fitness and basic training tips, or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox.

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This is the best budget-friendly fitness tracker we have tested this year

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This is the best budget-friendly fitness tracker we have tested this year

Why you can trust Live Science


Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best ones for you. Find out more about how we test.

If you’re looking to get back into exercising, or are just starting out, the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 may be the best fitness tracker for you. This fitness tracker does a great job of tracking your workouts and summarizing the data in an easy-to-understand format, without overcomplicating anything. The interface is user-friendly, and even those who aren’t into tech should be able to navigate around this smartwatch in no time at all.

While this is a budget fitness tracker, that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in features. You can do more than just track your workouts with this smart band: you can also track your sleep, stress levels, heart rate and so much more. There’s also no shortage of sports modes — with 150+ to choose from, you’re bound to find the workout you want on this watch.

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