Physical Exercise and Improved Productivity
Jessica R. Sitzman
Applied Research 1
Professor Lacey Clark
Metropolitan State University of Denver
October 17th, 2014
Problem
Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity. –John F. Kennedy.
The workplace has changed dramatically over the last 50 years. Many Americans are subjected to living sedentary lifestyles. With the addition of office jobs, changes in transportation, and chaotic schedules, Americans have become inactive. This inactivity has detrimental impacts on the economy as well as the health and success of individuals. It is estimated that inactivity can be directly related
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The World Health Organization estimates that depression affects 1 in 10 adults in the United States. Untreated depression can diminish the quality of life by contributing to the increase in the chronic diseases listed above. Depression can also lead to risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse, strained relationships, and create difficulties at work. Symptoms of depression include; daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, sleep troubles, and difficulty in finding pleasure in things that once brought the individual happiness (United States National Institute on Mental Health, 2014).
The United States continues to see a decline in the growth of its economy. The economy grew consistently by about 4% in the 50’s and 60’s. In the 70’s and 80’s there was a slight dip of growth to 3%. The last 10 years has only seen a growth rate of 2%. Many factors are contributed to the stagnation of the GDP growth rate in the United States, one contributing factor is a loss of productivity in the workforce (United States, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2014).
Literature Review
Many studies have been conducted in order to determine how to increase productivity in the workplace. Many factors are said to influence human efficiency. One of the main contributing factors becoming more recognized is the benefits of exercise before tackling the eight hour workday. Exercise can be characterized and defined in various ways; however,
Depression is a common mental disorder, characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness, and poor concentration. Depression can be long-lasting or recurrent, substantially impairing an individual’s ability to function at work or school or cope with daily
Depression is mental illnesses characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, despair and worthlessness that interfere with daily functioning and personal relationships. It is an illness caused by an imbalance of the chemicals in the brain. It affects about 19 million people and cost billions in any given year (Ford-Martin). Some of the symptoms of depression are having a hard time focusing, constant crying, and loss of interest or pleasure in ordinary everyday activities, sleep problems, problems with eating and weight (gain or loss). Depression strikes all age groups, and often goes unrecognized or inadequately treated.
New evidence today suggest that the more hours that you sit, the greater likelihood of dying an earlier death regardless of how much you exercise, or how lean you are ( Masters, 2010). The fact is that millions of Americans think they are being healthy by working out at the gym on a daily basis. These people do not realize that the exercise they are doing in the gym is not able to counteract the effects of the “desk job.” These same people think they are living an active life by working out on almost a daily basis. The truth is that this is considered to be living an inactive lifestyle. The red flag is now raised. These same people that work out at the gym daily are now grouped into the dreaded sedentary lifestyle. Being a member of this group increases your chances of diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease. On top of all this, it increases the chances of obesity. Obesity notably increases when a person is living a sedentary lifestyle.
People are retiring later, adolescents are finding it difficult to get employed, and poverty rates are through the roof. Surely, these are not signs of a booming economy, but rather the opposite. Top notch economists have debated whether or not the American economy has improved over the years, but when one dives deep into research, he can see that the cornerstone of the United States’ economy is about to fail. Not only should the government take a step back from further disrupting the economy, but they should rather help find ways to grow it through producing goods in America and by supporting new businesses to decrease the unemployment rate. A team working for Goldman Sachs states that America is the best working economy in the world, but they didn’t do enough research. If the stock market is a success, it only shows big companies are doing well, not the new and smaller businesses. Furthermore, America should pay more attention to manufacturing goods in its own country in order to decrease the unemployment rate and help lower the amount of debt the United States owes.
The American economy has suffered the deepest and most protracted recession since the Great Depression. The financial crisis that began in the fall of 2008 had enduring effects on economic performance. In the first quarter of 2009, real gross domestic product (real GDP) fell by 6.4 percent. Real GDP fell for four straight quarters, from third quarter 2008 through second quarter 2009. The good news is that we have enjoyed more than three years of uninterrupted economic growth (Real GDP) and falling unemployment since the recession ended in June 2009. Economic growth (real GDP) has averaged less than 2.1% since the recovery began July 2009 and is have slowed to less than 1% in the
To combat the rise of preventable chronic disease, there has been an increased emphasis on engaging in regular physical activity, as there is a clear and well-established relationship between physical inactivity and negative health outcomes. Although physical activity plays a crucial role in the prevention and management of chronic disease, this approach alone may not be sufficient to negate the effects that sedentary behavior has on health (3). Sedentary behavior is independently associated with an increased risk for chronic disease (4 5). This has become especially problematic for adults in the workplace as jobs increasingly shift towards computer-based deskwork. There is a dire need to address the risks of sedentary behavior independently from physical activity in the adult working population. The key options to address sedentary behavior in the work place involve physical changes to the environment and behavioral changes through use of current
A daily routine that incorporates a nutritious diet and a healthy physical activity, helps in the widening of human thoughts, due to which the person self-analyzes himself in a good frame. Extensive research studies prove that exercise helps in regulating bodily functions which then regulates and maintain healthy cognitive processes (Neeser & Karl). Furthermore, the elated feelings that are experienced post-exercise, are attributed of endorphins that are a result of physical activeness. The increased body heat and reduced muscle tension due to workout, a healthy cognition, due to which the defense mechanism against stressors is made stronger, and the coping techniques are
Depression, though a complex disorder, is one of the most widely known illnesses today. Clinical depression is a mood disorder that, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, affects 6.7% of the US population, more than 15 million adults. It is a serious illness that can be characterized, and often stereotyped, by perceived laziness, lack of motivation, and loneliness. Those with depression may experience significant changes in their sleeping habits, either sleeping too much or too little. Some depressed people can even have suicidal thoughts. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, states that in order to diagnose major depressive disorder (commonly known as simply depression), 5 or more
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression is a serious but common illness that interferes with daily life and causes pain for you and the your loved ones (National Institute of Mental Health, 2015). Depression affects males and females; however, females are more likely to be diagnosed with depression at any given year. Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and insomnia are amongst the most common reasons for individuals to seek out treatment
All of my findings my original hypothesis that daily activity would help me adjust to the stresses of living abroad and have a more positive experience. How and why exercise changes your physical and mental state is the subject of a lot of research. For example, in the reading article, Psycho-biology of physical activity, both authors speak about the importance being active has on the overall function of the human body. They explain that “one must reach the conclusion that psychobiology has had a meaningful
because they are in shape. when you are in shape you feel more happy with
The main idea of this study is companies allowing employees to exercise on work time. In addition there is a lot of positivity with companies allowing their employees to exercise during work time hours. Companies need to allow employees to exercise on work time to become more fit and more productive.
According to Martin Gibali (2012), professor of the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University, “the precise type and dose of exercise needed to accrue health benefits is a contentious issue with no clear consensus recommendations for the prevention of inactivity-related disorders
In the past recent years, physical inactivity has become the fourth leading risk factor for mortality worldwide (WHO), making physical inactivity a public health conundrum. Awareness of this and the epidemic of obesity led the former first Lady of America, Michelle Obama to pioneer the nation’s
Exercise is one of the most important factors in a persons’ life. Physical activity, or the lack of it, can result in a person having a healthy life or cause them to have diabetes. The benefits of exercise are countless. The positive health results, the improvement in attitude, even better academic performance are all factors which make not exercising inexcusable.