How exercise improves productivity & performance in the workplace

I have long known of the benefits of exercise in everyday life, but they span far beyond just physical improvement. Exercise has been shown to lift mood, reduce stress, improve brain function, boost confidence and reduce anxiety.

Exercise has also been shown to improve your ability to cope with stress. This is due in part to the increase in the brain of the chemical norepinephrine, brought about by exercise. Norepinephrine is utilised in response to stress. Other chemicals activated are Serotonin and Dopamine, the ‘feel good’ factors. One more less well known chemical is BDNF or brain derived neurotrophic factor. This is activated through aerobic exercise and actively promotes neuron generation ( new brain cells ) therefore increasing brain performance as well as protecting existing neurons, improving memory, and drastically reducing the risk of dementia.

I’m sure you can see the correlation between these factors and improved performance in the work place, if you’re not convinced, here is an interesting statistic from a study carried out:

A nine–month study of 80 executives showed that exercisers experienced a 22% increase in fitness and a 70% improvement in ability to make complex decisions compared to sedentary peers.

So if you want to improve your career prospects or boost the efficiency and morale of your staff, a structured work out period may be a step in the right direction.

Please feel free to contact me if you need help with designing a time and cost effective program for you or your staff.

Reference:

https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/exercise-stress.aspx

https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/train-your-brain-with-exercise

https://www.acefitness.org/acefit/healthy_living_fit_facts_content.aspx?itemid=3119