Benefits of Exercise

Asana Recovery Weekly Team Update August 22, 2023

Training Tools

Benefits of exercise on work performance

A ‘Caravan’ of Benefits

A Harvard Business Review 10-day study of 200 employees found that exercise “generated a package of next-day resources, called “resource caravans,” that contributed to work-related outcomes.” Benefits of exercise (observed in the 24 hours following activity) include:

• Quality sleep

• Vigor (associated with energy and vitality)

• Task focus (a cognitive resource that supports enhanced information processing, attention, and concentration)

  

A note: The study points out that the benefits of exercise are not immediate, but apparent in the following day. “Employees may perceive a depletion of resources (such as vigor and concentration) immediately after physical activity, which may actually interfere with their work,” the study reports.

How to Increase Exercise (at work or for work improvement)

Focus on building habit-building instead of looking for results. When your goal is to increase your exercise, you should judge success in terms of the “number of days” you made exercise part of your daily routine or the self-discipline of sticking to an exercise schedule you set for yourself. In contrast, using markers such as “had more energy” or “concentrated better at work” are often inaccurate and detrimental.

“Some is better than none.” According to the World Health Organization, “some physical activity is better than doing none.” The HBR study reaffirmed this and went on to add: “Moreover, we found that even short periods of physical activity, even 20 minutes each day, were sufficient to generate resources that contributed to employees’ next-day task performance and health.”

Find ways to make exercise fun. Increase your motivation by finding ways to make exercising fun for you. This may mean creating a special playlist to listen to, making your exercise a social activity, or starting a friendly competition among coworkers (if you’re someone who likes being competitive). But regardless of whether or not you feel motivated, exercise anyway. You’ll receive the health and work benefits regardless of how you feel about exercise - as long as you’re still doing the exercise!

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Open Enrollment Coming Up

Open enrollment starts in September and begins coverage in October. More info and details to come!

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Trivia

Question: Yoga is a great way to exercise and stretch. What does “Asana” mean in yoga?

Contact HR with your response for the chance to win a gift card!

Answer to last week’s trivia: Some main characters from the TV show “The Office” include: Michael Scott, Dwight Schrute, Jim Halpert, Pam Beesly, Ryan Howard, Andy Bernard, and Robert California.

Last week’s winner: Candace