The Relationship Between Employee Physical Activity Intensity and Workplace Burnout

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to investigate employees’ physical activity (PA) levels and workplace burnout. Methods Participants, employed full-time, recruited through Prolific Academic, completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results An analysis of variance revealed a significant difference in burnout emotional exhaustion (F (2,516) = 3.55, P = 0.03) and personal accomplishment (F (2,516) = 4.23, P = 0.02) among three levels of PA groups, but not in burnout depersonalization. The moderate PA group scored significantly lower in burnout emotional exhaustion than the low PA group (P = 0.025). The low PA group scored significantly lower in the burnout personal accomplishment than the high PA group (P = 0.02) and the moderate PA group (P = 0.03). Conclusions Employees engaging in moderate PA showed an effective reduction in their burnout emotional exhaustion and promoted personal accomplishment.