Work Stress and Weight Gain
A recent study by the University of Rochester Medical Center concluded that workplace stress is a direct contributor to weight gain. The study found that stress and low levels of physical activity are both common in the American workforce and that these two factors both directly contribute to obesity. Additionally, the study showed that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables did little to combat the obesity and that the best antidote is exercise.
This study is just one of many that have shown a strong correlation between workplace stress and weight gain. Other studies have demonstrated that workplace stress can lead to cardiovascular disease as well as anxiety and depression.
Research has also shown that when layoffs are circulating around a company, snacks highest in fat and calories disappear quicker from the vending machine. So in effect, stress leads to unhealthy eating which leads to weight gain.
There are a few ways to help prevent workplace stress from affecting your health. First, simply by being aware of the fact that workplace stress causes people to be inactive and make poor eating choices, one can help avoid this pitfall. People are much less likely to make detrimental decisions when they’re aware of the fact that their decision is detrimental (see: smoking cigarettes in the 1920s vs. smoking them now).
Second, it is crucially important to maintain a regular exercise regimen. The University of Rochester Medical Center study showed that exercise was really the only effective way to combat the weight gain that is common from workplace stress. Additionally, exercise has a direct impact on relieving stress.
In order to keep exercise at the forefront of your daily activities, try joining a new exercise class or trying a new activity. It is easier to maintain a regular exercise regimen when you’re not getting burnt out on any particular exercise. Avoid doing the same one or two different types of exercises every day and instead try mixing it up as much as possible. For example, on Mondays you could swim 800 meters, Tuesdays you could take a yoga class, Wednesdays could be a tennis session with a friend, Thursdays could be 30 minutes on the treadmill plus weight-lifting, Fridays could be jogging or running stairs, Saturdays could be 30 minutes on an elliptical-machine plus more weight-lifting, and Sundays could be a day off.
By keeping a diverse range of exercises, you’ll find it much easier to stay motivated to work out daily!
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