How regular exercise helps you balance work and family

It is estimated that worldwide, one-fourth of adults do not meet the recommended levels of daily physical activity for maintaining good health¹. The prevalence of insufficient physical activity among adults is approximately 27.5%, and women showed lower physical activity levels than men1. Women who balance a career with the additional responsibility of raising a family fulfill multiple roles, which can contribute to lower health-related quality of life, higher job stress, anxiety, and burnout². This is not surprising given the stressful everyday routine of work, family, and everything else in between. Being physically inactive is a way of life for many. It can be difficult to stay motivated and do something when feeling exhausted. However, much of the exhaustion can be attributed to the exercise that you don't do throughout your life³.

A woman with a young family may also struggle to find time for exercise. However, even short bursts of physical activity can help to improve the mood and energy levels⁴. Adherence to regular exercise can help a woman of any age. Doing regular exercise has a physical and mental impact and can also help women balance the everyday struggles. Also, it is known to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, increases the stamina levels, and improve cognitive functioning⁵. Investing in yourself with physical activity can combat the fatigue that so often dominate and give you renewed vitality, focus and motivation to enhance your productivity at your job.

Recently, a study investigated whether people who worked out regularly had higher levels of psychological well-being at work were the ones who present the high levels of vigor in exercises. These findings were positively related to high levels of well-being at work⁶. Regular exercise helps maintain a healthy weight, improve cardiovascular health, and maintain muscle strength, flexibility, and mobility⁴. In addition, exercise can help reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, some cancers, and diabetes and ensures you are healthy enough to handle work responsibilities more effectively¹. 

Doing physical exercises requires time management, commitment, and especially resilience. Integrating exercise into your daily working routine is not an easy task; nonetheless, it serves valuable time and can help you prevent burnout. Before you embark on a lifestyle change such as intense exercise, consult with a health professional who can advise you on your current clinical levels and fitness condition and give advice on how to begin being more active in your life. Ultimately, you will discover that the benefits of exercise will support you in managing and maintaining a well-rounded and balanced lifestyle. Women can pull off if they learn tricks for successfully integrating a work-life balance, mainly through skillfully aligning their priorities. 
 

References

1. Guthold R, Stevens GA, Riley LM, Bull FC. Worldwide trends in insufficient physical activity from 2001 to 2016: a pooled analysis of 358 population-based surveys with 1·9 million participants. Lancet Glob Health. 2018 Oct;6(10):e1077-e1086. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(18)30357-7. Epub 2018 Sep 4. Erratum in: Lancet Glob Health. 2019 Jan;7(1):e36. PMID: 30193830.
2. Wang H, Zhang T, Lu M, Zeng Y, Xiao Y, Ren X, Zhang P. Effects of Physical Activity and Counselling Interventions on Health Outcomes among Working Women in Shanghai. J Sports Sci Med. 2021 Mar 1;20(1):77-85. doi: 10.52082/jssm.2021.77. 
3. Inoue Y, Lock D, Sato M, Aizawa K, Mikura A, Kohno N, Ogasawara E. What explains the well-being benefits of physical activity? A mixed-methods analysis of the roles of participation frequency and social identification. Soc Sci Med. 2023 Nov 28;340:116454. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116454. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38052118. 
4. Limbers CA, McCollum C, Ylitalo KR, Hebl M. Physical activity in working mothers: Running low impacts quality of life. Womens Health (Lond). 2020 Jan-Dec;16:1745506520929165. doi: 10.1177/1745506520929165. PMID: 32495707; PMCID: PMC7273560.
5. White RL, Bennie J, Abbott G, Teychenne M. Work-related physical activity and psychological distress among women in different occupations: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2020 Jun 26;20(1):1007. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-09112-7. PMID: 32586295; PMCID: PMC7318444.
6. Gil-Beltrán E, Meneghel I, Llorens S, Salanova M. Get Vigorous with Physical Exercise and Improve Your Well-Being at Work! Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Sep 2;17(17):6384. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17176384. PMID: 32887334; PMCID: PMC7503999.