The Relationship Between Employee Physical Activity Intensity and Workplace Burnout: A Cross-sectional Study

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.