Extreme fatigue, migraine, feeling of doubt or inadequacy, insomnia, stomach aches, anxiety, irritability, disengagement at work… if you recognize yourself in this list, you may be experiencing professional exhaustion, also called burn-out.
Moderate exercise could help you combat this disorder, according to a study led by the University of Michigan and published in the journal Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Physical activity protects against burnout
To understand the relationship between physical activity and burnout, researchers surveyed 520 full-time employees about their physical activity and their feelings about their work and their health. After these questionnaires, the volunteers were divided into groups based on their level of physical activity (low, medium and high) and burnout (emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, depersonalization). Of the participants, 23% reported low activity, 60% moderate activity, and 25% high activity levels.
The analyzes show that people with moderate activity were less emotionally exhausted than those who did not move or moved very little. Additionally, the low activity group felt less personal accomplishment than the other two.
“The results highlight the positive impact of physical activity on job prospects and personal satisfaction”explains Michele Marenus who worked on this study.
Burn-out: no need to run a marathon to see benefits
However, it does not seem necessary to transform into a high-level athlete to avoid burnout: having a high-intensity activity did not reduce emotional exhaustion and did not increase the feeling of accomplishment more than exercise. moderate.
“We don’t need to engage in crazy activities to see benefits,” the scientist says. “Feeling pressure to do so can actually have a negative impact.”, specifies the expert in a press release. She therefore recommends walking or cycling… while remembering that moderate activity also has the advantage of being more sustainable and presenting less risk of injury.
“Moderate to vigorous physical activity (also) promotes an increase in the level of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor”adds Michel Marenus. “Also known as BDNF, it improves important things like brain health, cognitive function, and mental health. This protein remains elevated in the brain for a period after moderate to vigorous physical activity, which may be beneficial for the overall health of an individual.”
