The most interesting part of the study (to me) was this:
> Cardiovascular exercise was found to increase well-being and decrease psychological distress, perceived stress, and emotional exhaustion. Resistance training was noticeably effective in increasing well-being and personal accomplishment and to reduce perceived stress.
and
> Different types of exercise may assist employees in different ways.
I've always been told that exercise improves feelings of well-being, reduces stress, etc. I've never heard about the different effects that different types of exercise can have on the psyche -- although it makes sense, for example, that improving at resistance training would lead to a sense of accomplishment. If taken to its logical conclusion, this study implies that we should be working out in different ways based on the psychological ailments we may be experiencing. That's fascinating to me.
> [...] although it makes sense, for example, that improving at resistance training would lead to a sense of accomplishment.
It's not just a sense of accomplishment, it's an actual accomplishment: to be a stronger human being than you once was. And unlike most other accomplishment in life, you're not under anyone's whim or circumstantial luck. There were a big thread on HN just a few months ago on that: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9782083
Original: “Besides, it is a disgrace to grow old through sheer carelessness before seeing what manner of man you may become by developing your bodily strength and beauty to their highest limit. But you cannot see that, if you are careless; for it will not come of its own accord.” (http://perseus.uchicago.edu/perseus-cgi/citequery3.pl?dbname...)
I don't get why cardiovascular training, like running, wouldn't lead to the same feeling of accomplishment. You might not get stronger (in the same obvious way), but you will most certainly be faster.
If you don't lift much, it is kind of hard to describe, but there is this feeling after lifting heavy shit that is just a total peace with the world.
Could have something to do with the hormones and neurotransmitters that the body gets flooded with after lifting, could just be light-headed, could be something to do with all the tiny muscle tears...not entirely sure.
On the flip side, I'm a bigger guy(6'5"), and I just feel beat down and ache for days if I do any substantial distance running.
Sprinting though, seems to have similar physiological symptoms as lifting, and I believe several studies have shown that intensity rather than duration of exercise produces these effects.
Lifting is great for stress beating. For me it's that feeling when you're right at the end of a set, you don't think you can possibly do the last rep, and you grit your teeth and just.. do.. one.. more. Nothing else matters at that moment, actually you're incapable of thinking of anything else. Then when you do it, the release and sense of accomplishment is fantastic.
I get the same from full out, pumping-every-last-muscle-fiber sprinting too. It's something about the all-encompassing physicality of it - the brain almost goes into an instinct mode and all you can focus on is going as fast as possible, there's no room for anything else. Talk about a perfect way to get your mind off something!
I think though, for me, the best thing to do is a reasonable distance run (5k +) with a full-out sprint finish. During the distance part you get to really chew over whatever it is that you have to think about or that's stressing you out - then the sprint finish gives you a kind of catharsis at the end where, as above, you forget all about everything else for a minute or so and just, push!
Afterwards you feel so great that everyday stresses just fall away. Very few things feel nicer than being able to just stop, breathe, and walk slowly after a 5k with a sprint finish!
Try riding a bike if you're too heavy to run. I am naturally built for sprinting but I get huge satisfaction out of middle distance running. Over 5k and I start to feel as you described. I also enjoy lifting but it requires a partner, costs money to do and is inside, usually in a brightly lit artificial environment, so I only do it in the winter if at all. The bike on the other hand I can do for 6-8 hours no problem as long as I have enough food on board. I usually only do about 1-2 hours but I could really go for ever and always feel great afterwards. It just takes a little while to get used to sitting in the saddle. The first few rides might result in saddle soreness but after you get used it and buy a good set of shorts you'll never look back.
Why does lifting require a partner? I've been lifting for ages now, and aside from requesting spots for bench (which most people are happy to do) I've always lifted alone.
Of course, it's different if you're constantly doing 1RMs, but I doubt your workout consists solely of that.
The most benefit comes from pushing the last almost impossible rep regardless of how many reps you are doing. I just don't feel safe without a spotter.
Just switch to bench press using dumbbells. It's safer, doesn't require a spotter, and encompasses a wider range of motion making it, arguably, a better all around exercise than bar bench press.
Off the top of my head I can't think of any other major exercises that require a spotter. Squats maybe? But for those you can just use a smith machine.
I used to only go to the gym when I had a friend to go with (this was back in college so it wasn't a huge pain). Starting to go by myself was the best change I ever made. Not being beholden to another's schedule for your own wellbeing is a glorious thing indeed.
Don't use a smith machine. Find a gym with (or buy) a proper squat rack with safety bars that you can adjust to the proper height if you do have to bail out of a squat.
With a smith machine, you don't get the full range of motion you have with real barbell squats - it's straight-line up and down. I also am not a fan of the twisting motion you need to perform to get the bar locked in.
Putting your head beneath water also has a calming effect. And just listening to air bubbles while you're focusing in swimming technique is a great stress reliever (for me).
Lifting in a gym is not necessary. I get a fantastic workout by doing body weight training and lifting weighted sacks that I made with materials costing ~5$.
Hm, try racing. I race to the local track with our sports car, the rush (and fear) when from 180km/h in 100m I have to go down to 80 km/h and make the turn, then try to make the same turn at 85 km/h with my hands trembling and adrenaline sky-rocketing.
Or when you snowboard instead of a slalom you go just straight reaching 50-60 km/h with the board... Or after a big jump... (or when you understand that there's no place to go and you're gonna crash no matter what :-P ).
There are really, very few things that can be compared with a pure adrenaline rush.
I'm a huge fan of adrenaline too but as I get older self preservation has become a more prominent concern. There have been too many moments in my life that were too close to call and a few where the payoff didn't happen. After those failed gambles I had to spend the next years trying to regain my mobility and get back in shape again. Though only anecdotal runners/lifters high is a much more sustainable lifestyle choice.
Tip: If you do strength training, stay away from the bar. Yes, the traditional "big 3" all involve a bar, but there are safer alternatives using dumbbells. While dangerous technique is probably possible in any exercise, my personal experience is that it's easier to fuck up and hurt yourself using a bar.
I have the impression that there's' a trade-off between effectiveness and safety though, and this advice is pretty far towards the safe side of the spectrum.
I can only recommened the opposite: if you are doing strength training by all means use mostly barbells and stick to the big 3 (some sort of press, a squat and a deadlift variations). I hurt my back, shoulder and knees doing various machines and dumbbell variations over the last 15 years, the fear in regards to lifting heavy with barbells usually stems from horrible technique, most people do not realize that lifting is a sport that needs to be learned, it's not enough to just "push the weight".
How did you hurt yourself on machines/dumbbells? Not rhetorical - I would like to avoid doing the same mistakes.
And yes, I do have horrible technique. And since I don't have a personal trainer, no one is ever going to tell me when my technique slips, so I'd rather not rely on it.
You can improve your technique a lot by carefully watching Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength DVD. Ask someone to record video of you lifting every now and then and get a feel for your body in space or upload it to youtube for advice if you're unsure.
Mostly by overstretching particular joints under load, eg. behind the neck presses and pulldowns & pushing myself on dumbbell presses with weights I could move but barely control, at one point I lost control but did not drop the weights.
The others where loading up machines with weights I could not have moved if it weren't for the fixed movement plane of the machine, that ultimately meant trouble for my lower back (leg press) and grinding in my knees (leg extensions).
btw, most personal trainers are horrible at teaching proper technique. I'd recommened the books written by Marc Rippetoe and Bill Starr and watching videos by powerlifting coaches and lifters (that do not focus on lifting in gear). I could 'fix' (read: strengthen and work around) my back troubles with deadlifting, but would not recommened that to someone without a guide or knowledgeable help at hand.
I definitely recommend the opposite. I've found that machines often force me into a pattern of movement that may not jibe with my body mechanics or build.
I'd recommend doing the big 3, but starting off light. Focus on improving the movement. Record yourself, fix your form, develop awareness of your body position (for example - what does "butt tucked in" feel like?) and learn how to dump the bar if something goes wrong.
Above all: don't let your ego get in the way. There's a fine line between "just one more" and "one too many".
>
Could have something to do with the hormones and neurotransmitters that the body gets flooded with after lifting, could just be light-headed, could be something to do with all the tiny muscle tears...not entirely sure.
Endorphins are often given as a reason for why exercise makes people feel better. But when you give people an endorphin blocker (so the endorphins can't have any effect) you still get reports that exercise helped those people.
There are about 12 possible plausible mechanisms of action for why exercise may help improve mood. Thermo-regulation is another that seems promising.
Remember this is statistical in nature. Your mileage may vary.
I'm a runner and have found absolutely fantastic feelings of accomplishment and pride, as well as an undeniably healthier and happier lifestyle.
I suspect, as Swizec implied below, it mostly perception. Many runners tend to be less quantitative about performance gains, and therefore have less obvious metrics for advancement.
Does lead to an interesting corollary: does 'gamification' and quantification of athletic advancement improve retention of the habit?
I don't think "runners tend to be less quantitative about performance gains" is true. There are an enormous number of folks that compete in races and are timed. I would assume most of them care about said time. Also look at the rise of runkeeper, strava, fitbit, garmin and quantified self in general.
Half-marathon fun facts snapshot:
Since 2000, the number of half-marathon finishers in this country has quadrupled (482,000 to 1,960,000) or an impressive increase of 307%.
For the first time in history, 61% of U.S. half-marathon finishers were females (approximately 1,196,000, a record), the highest proportion of any race distance.
Although their percent fell to 39%, there was also a record 764,000 male finishers last year.
Also, in 2013, there were 34 U.S. half-marathons with 10,000 or more finishers (second highest total ever). This data point has doubled since 2009 when there were 17 with 10,000-plus finishers, and in 2000, there was only one.
For the year, there were a total of 42 half-marathons that make up the Top 100 U.S. timed road race list with 15 of them from the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series.
The Nike Women's event in Washington, DC last April was the largest inaugural annual half-marathon ever with 14,478 finishers.
Since 2010, 13.1 miles has been the second most popular distance by finishers behind the 5K.
According to Running USA's 2013 National Runner Survey, the half-marathon distance is the favorite race distance by core runners nationwide (preferred 38% by men and 43% by women).
Last year, there were more than 2,100 active U.S. half-marathons (final road race numbers to be released in an upcoming State of the Sport Report).
Per our count, October hosted the most U.S. half-marathons (288), while January had the least (83) in 2013.
October 2013 also produced the most 13.1 mile finishers with more than 312,000 and July the least finishers with just under 53,000.
http://www.runningusa.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=news.details&...
You don't need to record the weights you lift. You can tell how hard something is to lift just by picking it up. I lift weights all the time, and I couldn't tell you how much I could lift if I wanted to. I set a machine to a hard amount to lift, and I just lift it a bunch of times until I can't lift anymore.
I was totally out of shape two years ago and started doing both lifting and running. My progress was quicker with lifting then running so I've chosen to focus more on lifting. I like the Immediate feedback of getting one more rep then previously instead of having to finish a run and then see my time. ALthough my cardio is not good by any means lifting three times a week and running two times a week has made me feel more energetic in my daily life. Since I have no desire to do races that's good enough for me. This may change now that i have a Xiaomi mi band, I've found my self spending more time on the Treadmill even if it's just walking so I can get that vibration telling me I hit my goal for the day.
I'm a sprinter, so I do take a quantitative approach to running.
I also lift weights, and I would say that I do so seriously. But my weights are my own body and big rice sacks filled with water bottles that I heave around in various ways until I'm tired. I'm an experienced enough athlete to know when I'm hitting my limits, without following any specific metric.
and therefore [runners] have less obvious metrics for advancement.
I'm afraid I don't share your perspective, runners can easily get performance feedback without going overboard with fancy and shiny gadgets.
I'm a regular runner and I live in a coastal city and I frequently take my runs by the seaside. I start at a fixed point and set my finish point within the confines of a certain district/neighborhood and when I can complete the race as I had predicted, I consider this to be success and progress. Sometimes, I set instead a time limit to cover a certain distance and see if I could make it within that limit.
So, no runners can certainly measure their progress and performance improvements/shortcomings in very simple metrics if they so desire.
I don't know if you've ever done any weight training, but if you lift heavy enough and/or enough volume, and get "the pump", that's the reason. Basically your muscles swell up and harden as blood flow increases into the fatigued muscles and you feel bigger, stronger, more powerful than ever. Couple that with the rush of whatever drugs your brain gets flooded with, and you pretty much feel like superman for a while.
Schwarzenegger at one point famously (in "Pumping Iron") described it as better than having an orgasm, and it's hard not to agree.
I haven't done much running, but when I have, I've never felt anything similar - breaking personal records when running would leave me wanting to collapse in a heap on the ground. Breaking personal records when lifting tends to make me walk around like I'd just broken a world record and everyone was watching.
I've read that the rush you get from "the pump" is a function of steroid use
I haven't done a ton of weight training, but I've never felt this euphoria. I've definitely felt the runner's high - but only once after a very very intense run
I'm going to put this one down to interpersonal variation because I'm at best an intermediate lifter (BW 90kg, BP62.5 3x5, SQ85, DL 110 3x5) and I feel awesome after lifting weights. Same thing after doing Ashtanga Yoga. I just feel euphoric after really using my body, like, yeah, I just did that.
The variety of human experience is massive, some people are tetrachromats, some can't visualise at all, some can't experience romantic love.
yet the description was quite obviously a joke by schwarzenegger and was thought to get the attention of the public/media, no one seriously into weight lifting would ever say that. if you don't believe me watch the making of pumping iron - the 25 anniversary version.
As someone seriously into weight lifting, though it's a bit of an exaggeration, I found the description quite apt, and I know plenty of people seriously into weight lifting who agree with that. It's a different feeling, and not the rapid, massive rush, but it also last far longer. I had to choose, I'm not so sure I'd choose the orgasm.
Because most people don't use tracking apps and because improvements are less obvious.
It's very easy to measure progress when you're lifting. You're putting more on, the numbers are going up. Lifting more weight leads to being able to lift more weight. The path from "lift less" to "lift more" is obvious, easy to measure, and feels a bit like building an MMORPG character.
For running the gains are a lot slower and less correlated to your training. Running 2 minutes faster today than three months ago also doesn't feel as significant as squatting 50kg more than three months ago does.
2. I think you're pretty off base. The gains for running are just as correlated to your training, and (IMO, obviously, it's unquantifiable) a 10% speed improvement feels exactly as good as a 10% weight increase.
(For reference, I've been a medium good runner and lifter: at my various peaks I've run consistent sub-18 5ks and squatted 5x315lbs)
It's the same thing, it all depends on intensity and training though. Running a mile in 6 minutes means you're in pretty good shape. Shave two minutes and you're world class at that point.
One of the reasons why weight lifting makes the process more obvious is that lifting is inherently a high intensity workout.
I guess I'd agree that it's personal anecdote but not that it's untrue. I have run inconsistently for years and just haven't gotten faster. Maybe I've cracked the code now with low-heart-rate training and sprints, but I haven't done it long enough to see the evidence yet. "Just running" did not increase my speed, even if I was consistent, so to me it seemed like my results were not correlated with my training. I could run longer distances just as slowly, and my body composition did not change for the better. Moreover, "just running" did not make me feel good. So for some people (personal anecdata again) it is fair to say that running gains may be slow and seem uncorrelated with training.
I did make very very quick gains by "just lifting" and so felt very differently about it. These gains were both in strength and body composition, and within only a few months I found that I could impress people. Not at all like running: it's years and I still can't run an 8-minute mile.
If you're running inconsistently, then it's no surprise why then.
I've lifted and run at various times in my life, and I found running a lot more rewarding, especially with all of the bad advice out there that surrounds lifting.
After the past 5 years of mostly running (with some time away at times due to injuries), I went from a 12 minute mile to a sub-7 minute mile in 3 years (with 1 year not doing much in the way of exercise). Consistency with the frequency of exercise matters a lot.
> I went from a 12 minute mile to a sub-7 minute mile in 3 years
A 5 minute difference. Which is amazing. But only to other runners.
Going from a 50kg (110lbs) squat to a 130kg squat (286lbs) in 3 years is almost trivially doable (I've once gone from 50kg to 100kg in 3 months) and is impressive to everyone.
As much as we'd like our motivations to be pure, we really really really like impressing our friends.
"sense of accomplishment" is a buzz phrase that covers actual accomplishment. As in, "both my career and volunteer work give me a sense of accomplishment". People rarely say they have sense of accomplishment from something where there is no actual, objective accomplishment (without going out of their way to clarify that such is the case).
I'm wondering how much the decrease of psychological distress originates from the same effects as meditation gives. While doing cardio exercise, often the mind is forced to be focused on the body and the exercise.
Endorphins[1] are produced upon exercise. Also for those who do sports like racing, skiing, etc. There's the 'adrenaline rush' which leaves you an amazing feeling (sometimes literally goosebumps) when you successfully do something dangerous. I get this feeling when racing on the track and snowboarding.
Simple explanation would be that resistance exercise makes it much easier to measure progress (by lbs you are able to lift) than cardiovascular excercise. That's the reason why it gives you more sense of accomplishment.
I know that the progress may be mesured in aerobic excercise as well (by measuring time it takes to cover specific distance), but time is an abstract concept, and the bar with weights can be seen with the naked eye.
habituation and potentiation related to the increased average bloodstream presence of either NT or hormone type may lead to observable behavioral changes, etc.
Could this be the case of missing the forest for the trees? Perhaps the burnout is happening due to stagnant wages and inflation which forces people to work longer or take up additional unfulfilling jobs. Exercises perhaps may only be helping in workers handle additional stress but doesn't improve their being on the whole.
I'd chalk it up to constant job insecurity, too. There's a glut of unemployed since the last recession, and few places to put them, meaning that people hang on to whatever they have with an iron grip.
Oh yeah, and no legally mandated paid sick time, or vacation time. That'll add up to burnout ultra quick. There are also very few controls on how many hours they can physically make you work, and very few controls on how/when they can schedule you to work.
Gotta work indefinitely for less and less with no real control over when or for how long you work, and you're a few mistakes from being cut loose. For many people paid by the hour (and quite a few salaried people too), that is the reality. Did I mention that in the US people get their health insurance from work, vastly increasing the stakes of holding down a job? Not being able to afford a doctor when you're unemployed adds a lot of stress when you are employed-- and that's assuming you don't have kids.
I guess exercising on the job is a pretty big improvement, if those poor conditions are what you're facing. I really wish that more places would actively set aside time during the normal 8 hour (including an hour for lunch) workday for exercising.
Really, this whole country needs to have a sit down and re-enshrine basic equality, basic labor laws, and basic decency. This process will be like pulling teeth, because the capitalists at the wheel consider workers rights to be anti-profit. It probably won't happen unless someone like Sanders gets elected, to be blunt.
"My employer provides paid time off which I can use for vacation or illness. Will my employer have to provide additional sick leave?
No, as long as your employer provides at least 24 hours per year of paid leave that can be used for health care and meets other requirements in the law."
Regardless of the cause if their baseline stressors, the subjects showed a reduction in their stress levels and increased various well-being metrics.
I think that's the very definition of improving their well being on the whole. That there may be other ways to produce similar results, e.g. higher wages or less overall work hours (work/life balance) is not a counter point to the effectiveness of this particular method of accomplishing the same.
On a side, even animals with no external pressures to work show increased levels of stress from inactivity.[1] Most animals like ourselves are simply not made for sedentary life styles. So much of our mental and physical well being requires physical activity of some kind in order to produce the chemicals needed for life satiety. There's such a mountain of evidence supporting this that studies like the above aren't even very interesting anymore.
After basic necessities are met, healthy diet; moderate, regular exercise; and a sense of value and impact for one's work.
Those are the not really that secret sauce to a fulfilled life. We've known this for a long time now.
I've been doing a lot of exercise recently. Your body simply feels much better and more relaxed after some sort of physical activity. I've been walking almost 70 miles a week and I recently added indoor cycling.
I'm between "real" jobs. I do 5 miles in the morning (90 minutes), 45 minutes after lunch and the rest in the evening. It takes 3hrs of my day. That's why I'm adding indoor cycling. It takes about half the time to burn the same amount of calories. I discussed that in another blog: https://h4labs.wordpress.com/2015/08/27/apple-watch-8-weeks-...
Yesterday, my Apple Watch had me at 1600 active calories. I cycled for an hour and walked just under 10 miles.
I'm an indie iOS developer :-). Yeah, not having a real job is nice but I actually put on 20lbs. When I worked I kept a regular schedule.
It's hard to believe there still aren't enough hours in the day. I don't think I've ever had job burnout. However,I did get a little tired of working on my little app.
Your mileage may vary. I was over 230lbs and I'm almost 50. I hope to get back under 200lbs. Gotta do whatever it takes.
I've simply been on a mission since July 6th to get back into shape. It's not forever. I'm simply explaining that I feel much better and more relaxed than 2.5 months ago. If you're in halfway decent shape just run. A slow 3 mile jog always felt great. Hopefully I'll be back to that sometime this year.
I work a software engineering job, and manage on average 1.5 hours a day of exercise, on top of relaxation time in the evenings. The trick is to get it done in the morning when you don't miss the timr
Not the parent, but some simply prefer walking as an activity, and aren't concerned about optimizing how much distance is squeezed into a unit of time. A long, slow walk provides plenty of meaningful benefits that running and jogging may not.
Additionally, for people who experience joint issues, I'm sure the risks aren't at all overstated.
That's definitely an important point to be mindful of.
I was also attempting to target those of us who simply enjoy the process and outcomes of a walk, and don't get the same benefits from running or jogging. When I run or jog, which is rare because I detest it (but love spending serious time lifting and training other ways), I'm always focused on my
body, on pushing myself, on my breathing, etc.
When I walk, I can go forever and forget about my body. I get lost in thinking, reflecting, processing, etc. Walking is pure joy. Sure, it has positive physical effects. But I particularly seek the peace of mind that comes from going on walks. It's something I enjoy so much, I often pick my travel destinations based on how much walking I can do while exploring a new place. Walking has long been almost like meditation for me.
The industry is trending upwards, but inside of companies pay doesn't tend to match industry increases. If I know that jumping ship would increase my salary because my raises have been barely matching inflation, you can bet that's contributing to chances I burn out.
Inflation so far is 2015 is well below 1%, and 2014 was 0.8%[0]. The PDF in the GP shows an average salary increase in tech is about 2x inflation for 2014 (but half of those increases are raises and only a quarter are from changing employers).
But more importantly, how is knowing that you could pick up and go somewhere else for a 10-20%+ raise going to increase burnout? Either your pay at your current job is enough to warrant whatever stressors you may have, or it's not. I'd be in a much worse place emotionally if it was either my current job or the poor house.
The Australian economy is pretty different to the US.
Australia is just coming off its biggest economic boom in history. Its had 24 years of constant growth and average unemployment over the last 5 years has been at historically low levels.
Worker rights are pretty different in Australia compared to the US too.
The Australian economy has problems, but they are different to the US economy.
I think the grandparent poster's point had some validity.
For [0] and their total compensation calculation, have they included capital gains? The compensation shift from high-tax-rate wages to favorable-tax-rate stock options among the top-tier folks introduced $1/year CEOs, and then you have entire industries like software where stock options are frequently more important part of the compensation than wages.
Not only one gets a favorable tax treatment for long-term capital gains, they can also choose when to trigger those tax events, selling over 40 years instead of one swift transaction.
After a few years in the health industry, whenever I see a statement like this one:
Organisations wishing to proactively reduce burnout can do so by encouraging their employees to access regular exercise programs.
My brain translates the suggestion into real-world application, which in the US seems to go like this:
Organisations wishing to proactively increase wellness metrics and reduce their expenditures can do so by instituting highly invasive biometric screening programs and jacking up premiums, while offering no actual time or fiscal incentive to join a gym or exercise independently.
Quick apology if that sounds terribly cynical, but it seems like the go-to path by businesses. I say this as a person who feels grateful to have a job where I can go home and work out for 20 minutes 3 times during the work week. Also, I know that eating "better" takes time and effort both in the sourcing and production of materials, which may or may not be less expensive to the individual in the short/long term.
Unfortunately, I have to agree with this. I've seen it happen. What could very well be a win/win/win situation for companies (less turnover, lower rates), employees (better health, less burnout), and insurers (lower health risk and fewer payouts) ends up being something that removes a lot of (all of?) the benefit for employees, and just benefits the company and insurers.
It's normally changed into a lose/lose/lose situation, but companies and insurers won't realize their lose at the short term, so they pretend they won.
They change an action with the goal of reducing stress into something that creates more stress. And even spend some money doing it (it's just cheaper than the real thing, but still costs). Nobody gains.
That's so true. Believable explanations like "shareholder value", "revenue growth" etc. trumps everything else. As if the one and only valuable asset in life is making money.
Ah, a valid point, which I could've worked in but frankly I didn't see a lot of that happening in the implementations that I've witnessed.
You did make me realize though that I feel a bit like a sucker for paying higher premiums and spending my own money on supplements and workout stuff simply because I won't let my employer hire somebody to review my biological information on a sheet of paper devoid of individual context.
I mean, I'd love to be on equal footing with an employer. "Sure, you can look at my health records and tell me areas to improve, no problem. You're going to have to let me review internal financial metrics for places where you can cut back on some things and pay me more though." Fair is fair haha.
Too true. Another pitfall is the formation of cliques around exercise types, levels, and schedules. That can even be a form of discrimination, when the boss's exercise habits (inevitably) become part of the political game and those who don't use the same locker room get shut out.
My own anecdata definitely supports this study's conclusion. I wish I'd been in the habit of regular exercise when I first got into the startup scene.
That said, I fear the outcome of their recommendation:
> Organisations wishing to proactively reduce burnout can do so by encouraging their employees to access regular exercise programs.
If burnout is prevalent enough among an organisation's workforce for "proactively reducing" it to be strategically worthwhile, that suggests it would be much more important to introspect on why they are burning out so many of their employees in the first place. e.g. does your culture explicitly value "hard work", which can turn into encouraging unpaid overtime? When you celebrate hitting deadlines, do you look back on whether it was thanks to good planning or "crunch mode"? Do people understand the reasons for decisions that affect them?
Not that these are easy problems to fix, but I'd hate to see companies start thinking burnout is something that can be "fixed" with a gym discount and workout incentive schemes.
> I'd hate to see companies start thinking burnout is something that can be "fixed" with a gym discount and workout incentive schemes.
I agree, but dedicated time for exercise in the existing workday could go a long way.
And it doesn't have to just be exercise: I used to work for a company where the one of the directors of development (60-80 people under him) would go for walks and people could come along to discuss work topics. Another manager I worked for at a different employer would have walking meetings where the whole team would get up and discuss current problems from tasks they were working on, etc.
You do have to be careful however, otherwise you could get accused of bias against the less-able (e.g. disabled, pregnant, older). So you can provide time to exercise, but if exercise-related activities become a core part of the work day, people who cannot take part might complain that they're being sidelined (see IT Crowd and Jen with the dance-meetings).
I know we have someone with cerebral palsy who definitely would struggle to take part.
If I owned a company, I would allow at least 45-60 minutes a day for exercise on my dime--if the job was sedentary--like office jobs. A lot of jobs are so rigorous, I wouldn't expect my workers to exercise more. That might be the only benefit to blue collar jobs? I think if office workers exercised more, they might be happier, and more productive? I would let the workers come to work in sweats, if they wanted. Never understood uncomfortable clothes--especially when most employees never interact with the public?
If I found the majority of employees just abused the gift; I would squash the program.
I have used exercise as a drug my entire life. Started in 5th grade, and kept running. I don't run like I used too, but still get in daily rigorous walks. In my late forties, I didn't exercise--for various reasons. I have further found exercise does help with anxiety, but I had some bouts of anxiety that didn't respond to any exercise. Anxiety so bad only drugs seemed to help. Everyone chemistry is different though?
As you mentioned, small incentives definitely don't cut it. In comapanies where thriving in high stress environments is part of the culture, detoxifying that stress should equally be part of the culture. Sadly, it often isn't, and the imbalance leads to burnout.
That is common in Japan among jobs from office workers to mechanics.
I was stationed there for some years and when we were in port the Japanese workers on the base would all line up outside their offices, sometimes turn on a little workout music, and one or two would lead in stretching and movement exercises.
I'm sure they saw all the sailors looking and some laughing, but I think the joke was on us, ha!
It's not uncommon to have 1 stretch break a day that's lead by someone. As in they walk in the room and say "Okay everyone it's stretch time. Please stand up and follow my moves". I haven't personally seen it more than once a day and I've worked at Japanese companies that didn't have it though.
I'm very fortunate to work for a company that values health and wellness to the point where they provide workout facilities for employees and trainers twice a week.
I used to never go to a gym, and I'd be lucky if I could convince myself to do some bicep curls and situps/pushups at home in-between rounds of various games I play. I have weak discipline in that area. I've always had a high metabolism to the point where I was "scrawny", so I would never get fat from not working out, but I definitely felt the drain on my energy, and overall physical fitness and strength.
Since starting at this company, while I've lost 15 pounds (not something skinny people typically aim for), I've gained a ton of muscle, and am physically in the best shape I've been in my entire life.
The confidence that comes from that is one thing, but the increased energy and how it has helped me focus on work while reducing stress from juggling many balls are side benefits that were completely unexpected, and perhaps the greatest benefits. The fact that it was so noticeable to me was what really blew me away--it was literally night and day.
TBH, I likely wouldn't do this though if we just had the gym and no trainers--I'm one of those folks who needs someone giving them instructions in the gym and yelling at them when they are slacking or doing it wrong. I'd wager that this has driven a significant productivity boost for myself (and likely others here) because of the overall increase in energy. I also end up focusing on tough work problems I'm trying to solve during my workouts because of the amazing increase in focus I have, and it is amazing to be able to focus with that level of clarity.
It also probably helps cut down indirectly on insurance claims which is a nice plus.
In this day and age of always being connected, and having 50 million things to juggle at once, it is easy to be overwhelmed. There's something about a solid workout that just forces all of these extraneous thoughts from your head and lets you focus on 1-2 things that I personally attribute to helping reduce the risk of burnout.
The flip-side of course is ensuring proper work/life balance, and I'd say that is pretty healthy here as well (and was one of the deciding factors in me choosing to work here vs. elsewhere). Companies really need to embrace it and promote it as part of their culture, otherwise it becomes one of those things that they need to try to fit in along with everything else in an unsustainable way.
As a long distance runner I have no doubt there's value to exercise. It pays to be healthy. It's also hard to stick to an exercise plan year round.
This is a small sample size study that only lasted 4 weeks. Anecdotally, longer duration exercise regimes can themselves result in burnout-- it's hard to make it a habit.
Perhaps the takeaway here is that a short-term exercise regimes can serve to distract you from the work that is burning you out?
You will feel better; both physically and mentally. Positive habit leads to more positive habit. Pay attention to how you feel. You don't need scientific studies to prove these things are "good" for you.
the best thing i've done in the past year is fork over a bunch of money to a personal barbell coach to get my ass up and into the gym on a regular schedule. he also supervises my general cardio routine.
i'm simply unable to do it myself without the external personal and financial accountability. but once the money changes hands, i look at it like a business transaction / work and it taps into a different set of motivations in my head.
if you've had false starts and other trouble getting on a resistance and cardio program, try hiring a good trainer. if you're intrinsically motivated to be fit, count your blessings.
This is an unsustainable workload. It's not possible to work productively at this level for anything but the short term. Honestly, for how many hours of the day are you actually productive? Could you have worked more efficently and left after 8 hours instead of 10 or 12? As a cheeky example, if you've got time to read HN at work, could you cut that and similar time wasting activities out completely so that "work time" is limited to just work and get out of the door once the real work is done?
WRT finding time to exercise, I go to the gym for an hour over lunch: 10 mins running, 30 mins doing weights and using various machines and another 10 mins running to wind down, then shower and back to work for the afternoon. Other days I go to the climbing wall and have an hour on the bouldering wall. Then back to the desk.
I also usually cycle to work. The physical exercise makes me feel overall much better both physically and mentally. I can really tell the difference if I don't do anything for a few days. Physical exercise definitely reduces my stress.
> Honestly, for how many hours of the day are you actually productive?
Not very many. I would definitely love to leave at 5, and I know that this would make me more productive - in total! - not just per hour, but I don't want to deal with the fallout from it, since everyone else stays until after 7:30.
I tend to get in at 8-9, while others come in 9-10, but no one can tell how early I was in. As is, I'm already typically among the earliest leaving, and it already feels weird.
It sucks to have that kind of work culture, but it's really unhealthy for everyone involved. Is it at all possible to point out its flaws and make everyone's work-life balance better? Or to be the one to work sensible hours and make the rest realise what they are doing is pointless? (I know social pressures like this are very difficult to change, and I'm terrible at dealing with this type of thing myself. I'm actually very lucky in my present job that I can work flexible hours and 8 per day is totally acceptable--I could even get away with less if I really wanted, though I don't.)
I spent a year working 12 hour day and night shifts, so I can certainly sympathise with the hours. I got a 6 mile cycle each way and wasn't entirely desk bound then (industrial laboratory) so physical exercise wasn't an issue.
Get there a little bit earlier and either go to the closest gym or do your own self-led workouts (run/bodyweights/etc.), then get in to the office when everyone else arrives.
Unfortunately, my priority is surviving until a year at this place is up, so that I can quit without potentially being labeled a job hopper. I don't want to damage my career permanently.
Try push-ups and hang-ups at home once per day. You have a floor, so push-ups are always available. Anything strong enough above-head will do for hang-ups: A staircase, with overhead steps you can grab hold off or a horizontal beam. If your landlord is fine with it, you can install a hang-up bar in a doorway.
This. At the end of the day it's up to you to find/make the time to balance your life out. I've been learning a lot lately about balance, it's more important than I used to think.
I don't think I can quit until next year, due to the "job hopper" label - I've only been here for six months.
My health has definitely taken a downhill turn... before I was at the gym 3/4 times a week, plus bike rides. Now it's one or two, and that comes at the cost of being able to do other things.
Start looking for another job ASAP. Raise your salary expectations to at least 10% over what you make now. Name a figure at least 15% higher early in negotiations, if you get cornered in to picking a number first. Consider going higher than these minimums. 20%. Maybe 25%. Don't drop your starting bid until you've failed to land at least two jobs due solely to salary expectation mismatches.
You may be surprised at how accepting people are of a slightly-nicer-worded version of "why do I want to leave so soon? The job is shit, that's why", especially if you can frame it as "it's not advancing my career as I expected blah blah blah". And really, six months isn't that bad. I know lots of very successful people with multiple entries like that in their work history.
Since you can't really use anyone where you are now as a reference anyway (not for this particular job search, at least), if you haven't already been explicitly told you have to work 10-12 hours, consider cutting back to 8 hours/day cold-turkey and using the time you save to recover and to look for a job, at least until someone complains.
(I'm assuming you're in tech and don't live in the middle of no-where. Hell, I do live in the middle of no-where by many people's standards, and anyone with even a hint of talent gets snapped up here fast. Job openings as far as the eye can see. It won't last forever—move while you can. It's musical chairs.)
Being at one job for a short period doesn't make you a job hopper, rather it is about the long-term pattern.
You can honestly say to potential future employers that this job is just a poor fit. Better to cut your losses early (and save your health) rather than tough it out for something others may not even care about.
I work 10 hours per day and still make it to the gym for a few hours. I get in at 8:30, leave at 4:30, hit the gym and lift for a few hours, come back to work and work until 10 or 10:30, and then head home. Granted, I've optimized my life to be able to do that (I bring all my meals to work, I live within walking distance of work, my employer lets me store a prowler on site for when I choose to do cardio :D etc).
If I couldn't make that schedule work then I would work less. The idea of giving up lifting is a non-starter for me.
This is what I used to do while working remotely (so "walking distance" to the "office" was about a meter), and it had a the huge advantage of being at the gym when no one was using the equipment.
I workout at the Golds here in Jupiter, FL every day after work. It started, like many times before, as a, "That's it! I'm getting into shape!", back in February. I wanted to put on some muscle weight (went from 180lbs in Feb to now 208lbs; my goal is somewhere around here). Then, like very few times before, it became an addiction. The exhilaration of high speed running (I'll set the treadmill to 12mph and see how long I can run at that speed - usually no more than 1/4 mile), the feeling of accomplishment after weights (I do weights every day, treadmill is just my warmup).
My stress and anxiety (had serious anxiety since 2012 - drugs did nothing to help) have been reduced drastically. It's very strange because generalized anxiety disorder is more of an epinephrine issue, but when you have it it feels very much mental. It's not until you start finding relief from working out that you start to accept that it is truly a physiological issue. All the fears (worrying about loved ones, worrying about having some disease, worrying about job security, etc.) just fade away with each new workout. It just takes a couple months to get to this point.
The sense of well-being from endurance exercise such as running is phony, however. You're not solving any problems when you go for a run. (And I don't mean technical problems whereby you figure out some software bug while you're out covering the miles, which is great!)
Well, sure, you're temporarily solving the dependent problem of discomfort from the stress caused by problems, which is a problem itself.
You have to use the sense of well-being as a motivator to actually confront problems when you come back from the roads or trails, rather than as a "drug" to escape from them.
This comment strikes me as far too cerebral. Exercise has demonstrably positive effects on not just mood (the sense of well-being, as you said), but cognitive function, physical performance, and longevity. If you go for a run in nature, you get a boost in creativity (http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal....). Exercise is often social and can be used to network.
Exercise isn't just a calorie-intensive vacation for your brain, it's an overall enhancement for life.
Excercise also causes stress. If I go two days without running, I feel in a low, agitated mood while at the same time physically lethargic. All throughout the day I have urge to lie down and take a nap. It's exactly like withdrawal from a drug. It starts on the first day off intensifies on the second day. Even a short run helps; for instance a single hard 800 m repeat. After that I feel normal, like on running days.
The problem goes away after a week or two if I quit completely; it's caused by the exercise.
Basically all the strictly positive stuff you hear, though not wrong in and of itself, is a rather unbalanced view spread by people who don't actually exercise, or not a whole lot.
It's not just the runner's high. I've noticed my mood is dramatically different on weeks I bike to work. The following week if I start driving I think to myself, wow I feel awful. Wow I'm unmotivated.
Simply feeling better does truly help solve the problem though, because in many cases the problem for a large part is the stress itself. It started with external factors, but then the stress creates a self reinforcing spiral where you don't solve your problems because you're stressed and this makes you more stressed. If exercise can break that spiral that is truly helping.
Studies have shown that long walks and endurance exercise help you process emotions and reduce stress in the long run. By processing emotions more effectively + reducing stress, people are able to better respond to situations in their daily lives.
It's like eating healthy food. It's a habit you take up to help prevent situations from developing.
Years ago I read in a running magazine about the 1993 suicide of runner Barry Brown at age 48. Running injuries and back pain left him unable to run, and he faced financial problems from which he wasn't able to escape anymore by heading out to the trails. This story really stuck in my mind as a lesson about patterns to avoid.
You aren't just a brain in a box. Your body's state affects your cognition. Stressors cannot always be eliminated, but stress is not only a function of stressors - it's a reaction of bodies to stressors.
At this point it would be news if exercise isn't beneficial for $CONCERN.
So the question is how, do we make it so that people want to get of their ass and exercise? Considering the general state of health in most first world countries (especially given the recent news that half of US adults are either diabetic or pre-diabetic), this may very well be the question in public health.
And yet we almost never see any research about this.
Made a huge difference for me. Being able to get in exercise without having to think about made it fundamentally more effective than any other lifestyle change. It's also upped my energy level to the point that I seek other forms of exercise and activity.
The barrier besides cost and space is getting people to ramp up slowly enough that they are successful and don't hurt themselves. A treadmill that automates the amount of walking you do and and takes into account how you report feeling and how much experience you have would make that possible.
If your desk provided you feedback and metrics and you gamified it a bit I'll bet you could solve the motivation issue for a good chunk of the population. I've encountered many people who haven't used a treadmill desk full time who think it wouldn't work for them, but never someone who has tried it and failed. I don't know how strongly survivor biased that is.
I think it's a public health issue and it's in the best interest of the government and insurers to reduce costs down the road by driving change today. I really think what we are doing today is borrowing from our future selves and society (by way of medicare).
I run 5k three times a week, and do a moderately heavy weights session each of those days. I don't want my employer to force me to be standing when I've already done 2 hours of exercise that day.
Actually, most of these studies show that moderate exercise is beneficial for $CONCERN. Strenuous exercise can lead to a heart attack, knee damage et cetera, and sports are often inherently dangerous – from broken bones to tennis elbows. The prevailing scientific view on exercise is actually quite nuanced.
Indeed. Given the actual state of the science, it's arguably irresponsible to make unqualified claims about "exercise". Doubly so if the claim is being made with regard to an individual or small group rather than a large population. The way people talk about the benefits of "exercise" is about on the level of saying that "food" prevents scurvy, goiter, and rickets.
how, do we make it so that people want to get
of their ass and exercise?
We have to make it fun. Look at all the nerds (and I would definitely include myself as a nerd) who wouldn't dream of working out, but burned millions of calories on Wii Fit and Dance Dance Revolution.
I'm not saying it necessarily has to be a video game.
A lot of people would love sports if they had a local, easily accessible, and judgement-free chance to play them.
I think very few people have the mindset to do grueling, non-fun workouts on a regular and lifelong basis. And you know what? Nobody really should, either. There are so many fun ways to do it.
> So the question is how, do we make it so that people want to get of their ass and exercise?
Sell it in a pill, or sell a service so that someone else can do the hard work for me, or otherwise sell a gadget I strap around me and it works "me" out. /s
In other words, pigritia imperat - laziness rules.
More seriously, people will exercise if you can distract them from the fact that they are exercising. Once those immersive first-person shooters become cheaper you might see a change.
In the US, exercise being recognized as "medically necessary" would open up a lot of doors via the ADA -- employers would be required to make reasonable accommodation for you to get the exercise you need.
We're sneaking in a punching bag to my wife's work. It's a hospice -- emotional job. Adding a heavy bag to the back should help with frustration and loss. It also makes room for the pul up tower.
Don't know why you're getting downvotes, this is some "Brave New World" level BS- it's not enough to own your ass for 10-12 hours a day, now you have to spend another hour on a treadmill so they can get more out of you. Hope you're also spending a couple of hours on 'passion' projects to keep your skills sharp, and getting a full 8 hours of sleep as well. Unless you're getting paid like a pro athlete screw that.
It's ultimately your call as an employee if you want to work longer/harder/faster, but I don't think there's anything wrong with exercising and 'passion projects'.
I exercise twice weekly, and spend around 2 hours on my own projects - purely so I am stonger, both physically and mentally - which'll lead me to higher paying work in the future (not to mention I love my pet projects!).
My employers know that at 5:30, I down tools and under no circumstances, will respond to any calls/emails until 9am the following morning.
Yoga's great, (1-4 times a week depending on schedule) but it's far from optimal as cardio, weight training or flexibility training. It beats being a couch potatoe by miles but it's best seen as moving meditation not a complete fitness regimen.
Or swimming --- excellent for RSI, cardio, working out all your muscle groups, learning a useful skill, low impact, easy to keep going into old age, weather independent, no crossfit mentality. And you can easily pop into the sauna and steam room.
> Cardiovascular exercise was found to increase well-being and decrease psychological distress, perceived stress, and emotional exhaustion. Resistance training was noticeably effective in increasing well-being and personal accomplishment and to reduce perceived stress.
and
> Different types of exercise may assist employees in different ways.
I've always been told that exercise improves feelings of well-being, reduces stress, etc. I've never heard about the different effects that different types of exercise can have on the psyche -- although it makes sense, for example, that improving at resistance training would lead to a sense of accomplishment. If taken to its logical conclusion, this study implies that we should be working out in different ways based on the psychological ailments we may be experiencing. That's fascinating to me.