(Yahoo! Finance) Many people exercise regularly because it's the healthy thing to do. Maintaining a physical fitness routine can not only help you avoid medical problems, but also, give you energy and serve as a form of ongoing stress relief.
But new data from online fitness resource Fitrated.com points to another benefit of working out -- it could help further your career. In a survey of roughly 1,000 people, about 78% say that exercising has helped their job performance improve, specifically on the productivity front.
Not only that, but in the same survey, people who work out were more likely to snag a raise than those who don't. Now to be fair, with a sample size this small, that could be coincidental. But think about it this way: People who exercise on a regular basis often have more energy and less stress than those who don't, and those two factors could impact job performance, thereby leading to more money.
If you've been falling down on the exercise front, it pays to incorporate a fitness routine into your busy schedule. It could end up being just the thing to move your career in a positive direction.
Working in workouts
It's hard to find time to exercise when you get to the office early and leave late on a consistent basis. And if you have a long commute on your hands, working out gets even harder.
But one thing can do is to talk to your employer about your desire to find time to exercise, and ask for support. Many companies these days are willing to invest in wellness programs that improve employees' mental and physical health. To this end, your employer may be willing to offer perks like on-site fitness classes, workout breaks during the day, or subsidies for the purchase of exercise equipment to be used at home (keeping in mind that people with busy work schedules can't always make it to the gym).
Along these lines, it pays to see if your employer is willing to invest in standing desks for employees who are eager to use them. Studies have shown that working in a standing position, as opposed to being seated in a chair all day, can not only lower the risk of heart disease and weight gain, but also reduce back pain and improve energy levels.
But don't just count on your employer to make positive changes on the workout front. You'll also need to learn to carve out time in your own schedule to go for a walk, ride your bike, or engage in similar healthy activities. You might, for example, schedule a little extra time on weekends to exercise, when job-related demands don't monopolize the bulk of your waking hours. And it wouldn't hurt to schedule one evening a week to leave the office on time, whether it's to hit the gym or take a run at a local park.
The more of an effort you make to work out, the more you stand to gain. And mental and physical benefits aside, you just might propel your career in a very positive direction.
