Three Ways Exercise Can Help Your Career

There is no question that exercise is beneficial...but can it be beneficial to your career? Researchers across the globe have studied the impact of exercise on one's career and have made some surprising discoveries. Here are three ways that you could benefit by incorporating intentional physical activity into your daily routine to move up in your career:

Getting along with others: A study by researchers at Leeds Metropolitan University in England found that those who engaged in exercise were able to get along better with co-workers than those who did not. By looking at workers who had access to a corporate gym, the researchers had the workers report their ability to get along with others as well as other metrics on a seven-point scale. Completing the scale on days that they exercised as well as on days that they didn't, the Leeds group found that exercise increased interpersonal relations among workers.

Increased mental capacity: But that's not all that the study found. Exercise increased the ability of the participants to deal with job stresses and their ability to meet deadlines. The workers were given the option to exercise between 30 and 60 minutes, but, surprisingly, the researchers found that the amount of time did not matter. They type of exercise, be it aerobics, yoga, or a pick-up game of basketball, did not matter either. The workers who exercised found their performance boosted by 15 percent.

Physical conditioning: The American College of Sports Medicine released a brief report on the impact exercise can have on those with physically demanding jobs. By analyzing the requirements of their jobs and creating exercise interventions that duplicate and compliment their movements, workers can increase their physical conditioning and perform better at work.

Incorporate more exercise into your daily routine to have a happier and more productive career!