Workaholic men benefit from fitness

2 mins to read

Work life balance can be a challenge for many men. Online personal trainer Andrew Cate highlights the importance of fitness and how to fit it into your busy schedule.

Mens health

How does work impact upon your health?

Your job not only brings in money, it also adds purpose and satisfaction to your life. However, spending extra hours at work, bringing your work home and living only for your work can all have a negative impact on other priorities, such as friends and family.

There’s also the impact on your health. The workplace can have a strong influence on your physical, mental and social wellbeing. If your job involves sitting at a desk for the majority of time, those long hours may result in less kilojoules used, postural issues, muscle wastage and reduced cardiovascular health. Our bodies don’t enjoy being sedentary.

On the other hand, physical fitness is thought to help your body tolerate high work demands in a number of ways, including:

Reduced physiological stress during a specific task
Reduced time required for recovery
Reduced risk of heart health problems associated with long working hours
Reduced fatigue
Improved sleep

The research

Recent research published in the journal Heart focused on the negative consequences of long work hours on cardiovascular health in men.

The study, conducted over 30 years on almost 5,000 men, found that workaholic men (working more than 45 hours a week) with the lowest level of fitness were at the greatest risk of experiencing heart health problems. Lower levels of physical fitness were associated with higher blood pressure levels.

This stresses the importance of physical fitness for men who work long hours.

Finding a balance between work and fitness

While the benefits of improved fitness are clear, the challenge is to find the time to be active. Here are some suggestions on how to restore balance between your work and your personal health and find more time for fitness:

Make an appointment with yourself – Prioritise exercise by writing it down in your diary at least 3 times a week. Make a commitment to yourself and keep it, just like your other appointments. Schedule a time when you are least likely to be interrupted
Train hard – Train intensely and work out as hard as you can to burn off the maximum amount kilojoules in the time you invest in exercise. Include interval training, and minimise your rest between exercises. Just make sure you warm up and cool down to prevent injury
Use your weekends – You’ve got more time on weekends, so take advantage of it by including a few longer workouts. Supplement these with a few shorter workouts throughout the busy working week.
Get a training partner – Whether it’s a friend, partner or work colleague, having someone else to be accountable to adds to your commitment and can make your exercise more enjoyable.
Have fun – Try to include activities that you enjoy as part of your exercise routine, and you won’t find it hard to stay motivated. Look out for mid-week touch football, tennis, basketball or soccer competitions.

References available on request