Stay fitter, work better

London, Feb. 1: Slobs beware. A new study shows that fit employees perform better at work and have better relationships with their colleagues in the office.

People who exercise at the gym not only produce a greater quantity and quality of work, but they also find their jobs less taxing, according to the research.

The study, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, is the first time the relationship between exercise and work has been documented.

Researchers analysed the health and way of life of 683 workers in various occupations to gauge levels of physical activity, physical fitness and obesity.

These assessments were compared with indicators of job performance, as rated by the employees themselves.

They found that employees with moderate levels of exercise produced work of greater quality and better overall work performance.

Those who followed a vigorous exercise regime also produced a higher quantity of work and required less effort to do their work.

The study, led by Nico Pronk, of Health Partners, a research foundation in Minneapolis, found that overweight employees took more time off sick and had worse relationships with their colleagues.

The findings could have significant implications for companies struggling with low rates of productivity and high absenteeism.

Pronk said: “If companies have concerns about the level of work by employees, then maybe they should introduce breaks for physical activity, while weight management programmes might have an impact on rates of absenteeism.”

Pronk attributed the better performance of fit employees to their higher resistance to fatigue. “A useful analogy is to look at sprinters in the 100 metres. All the athletes get up to the same speed quickly, but the one who is the most resistant to fatigue is the one who succeeds.”

Vanessa Feltz, the broadcaster, said that the study’s findings mirrored her experience in trying to get fit and lose weight for the television series, Celebrity Fit Club.

She said: “It’s only been three weeks but I’m already seeing the difference. I used to be a great snacker on painkillers for headaches but since I’ve taken up regular exercise the headaches have gone. It definitely concentrates the mind a lot.”

“I find myself springing from bed to get up at an ungodly hour and can’t wait to start working, whereas before I’d stay in bed until 9 am if I could.”

Office workers in Britain agreed that exercise helped them concentrate and improved their work performance.

Lucy Lawrence, 30, a project manager with the mobile phone company 3, said that a lunchtime workout gave her more energy for the afternoon.

She said: “Exercise is great if I am stressed or have a mind block because I can convert all that nervous energy into physical activity. If I don’t go to the gym for a few weeks I have a general feeling of lethargy.”