Office workers who exercise for a couple of hours each week are less likely to burn out or suffer from depression in the long run, a new study shows.
Just a couple of hours spent on the treadmill has a positive effect on the mood of employees compared to those who do not undertake physical activity, report the Daily Mail.
This is according to research carried out by scientists from Tel Aviv University, who established that four hours of exercise a week is the optimum amount.
Both depression and burn out are associated with mental health, but the latter can have physical manifestations too and result in exhaustion.
Doing exercise can help to boost self worth and avoid these problems, which as well as affecting work can overspill into everyday life.
1,632 office workers were studied for the research which has been published in the Journal of Applied Psychology.
They were split into groups and varying amounts of exercise was undertaken by each subdivision ranging from none at all to 240 minutes per week.
The study was carried out over a period of nine years with regular questionnaires and check-ups to track the participants’ progress.
Office workers taking part in exercise for four hours a week showed very few signs of mental strain and even those with moderate rates had significantly less than those who were completely inactive.
Dr Sharon Toker, researcher for the study, recommended businesses building gyms for staff in order to boost their overall mental health.
Fit employees are good for their employers as well as themselves as they are more productive and less likely to take time off work due to sickness.
Recently it has been said that office staff are increasingly turning to alcohol in order to deal with pressures and stresses being put on them at work.
