Exercising to reduce stress may not increase productivity
Stressed-out employees may work out instead of working
Employees who exercise to manage high job stress may actually have reduced levels of work productivity, suggests a study in the October Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
Led by Jeffrey J. VanWormer, PhD, of Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, Marshfield, Wis., the researchers analyzed the relationship between stress levels, physical activity, and productivity in a sample of 2,823 Minnesota workers. In general, higher stress levels were linked to greater productivity loss. Workers with higher body mass index were less productive, regardless of other factors.