Effects of Exercise on Corporation Success 1

Running Head: EFFECTS OF EXERCISE ON CORPORATION SUCCESS

Effect of Exercise on Corporation Success

Laura N. Courtney

Glen Allen High School

 Effects of Exercise on Corporation Success 2

Abstract:

This review examines the effect of employee and executive fitness on the success of an

entire corporation or business. With the rapidly growing obesity epidemic in America, there has

been an increased emphasis on exercise and healthy eating. Through many studies and surveys,

researchers have found that when an executive and the employees of a company are physically

fit, as determined by the American Heart Association, they are more satisfied with their jobs, are

better workers, and make more money for their business. Furthermore, executives and

entrepreneurs whom are frequent exercise are better liked by their employees and report greater

productivity while in the office. These benefits of exercise specifically to the working class can

partially be attributed to the biological benefits of exercise. Research on the effects of employee

exercise is a rapidly growing field of research and upon education of the benefits of corporation

fitness, employees should be educated by their employers on the benefits of exercise.

Introduction:

The benefits of exercise have been long researched and known my psychologists. The

idea of the correlation between physical fitness and success in the office is a new concept, and

the research has grown with the rise in workplaces like Google implementing company exercise

programs and reporting greater employee productivity with a gym located in the office. The

benefits of exercise were first self-reported, with individuals noticing that after morning exercise,

their days at work were more productive and they were in better moods. Psychologists and

researchers attempted, and succeeded, in quantifying the benefits of exercise for success in the

workplace. Employees and their bosses are finding greater success in their jobs when exercise

becomes a part of their daily schedule.

 Effects of Exercise on Corporation Success 3

Defining Fitness and Exercise:

The American Heart Association has changed their recommended exercise amount. Their

2005 update from their prior 1995 quota. They recommend thirty minutes of moderate intensity

physical activity at last five days a week or twenty minutes of vigorous activity at least three

days a week. Additionally, these can be combined and alternated, some days with moderate and

others with vigorous activity. The recommendations have been made assuming that some

physical activity happens during the day from walking, self-care, and cleaning (Frew & Bruning,

1988). To maximize exercise, individuals should seek to exercise in a way that promotes

endurance, strength, and flexibility (Neck & Cooper, 2000). For the purposes of this paper, a fit

individual is one who meets and/or exceeds the recommendations by the American Heart

Association.

Benefits of CEO Fitness:

Andrew Johnston, a business professor at Red Rocks Community College teaches a class

called Change through Challenge, where business executives spend the semester training for a

full marathon and attending weekly seminar classes regarding how their training parallels their

work. His class has been wildly successful because marathon training and running a marathon

both require goal setting, consistency, and perseverance. Members of his class report back to him

citing that they feel as if they can better overcome adversity in their careers after knowing they

can run a marathon. The success of his class proves that the positive consequences of running

can in fact help an executive have increased success in their job (Johnston, 2015). To quantify

these results, Limbach and Sonnenburg researched the corporate benefits of CEOs who have

successfully completed a marathon within a year of the study. They found that these fit CEOs

were better able to moderate stress, had improved cognitive function while at work, increased
 Effects of Exercise on Corporation Success 4

self-esteem, more positive behavior, and generally higher performance compared to non-

marathon running CEOs. Furthermore, fit CEOs had a higher firm value, as determined by

Tobins Q, a higher return on assets, and more cash flow (Limbach & Sonnenburg, 2015). But

the benefits of CEO fitness extend past monetary and self-benefits. Physically active CEOs and

managers, as determined by the American Heart Association, had higher evaluation scores from

their constituents and employees. On a scale of 1-5, the interpersonal performance and task

completion was a 3.93 for physically fit leaders compared to a 3.85 for physically unfit leaders

(King et al., 2014).

Benefits of Employee Fitness:

Employees should not dismiss exercise as something for just CEOs. Normal employees

can still reap similar benefits from regular exercise. People who exercise at least three times a

week have enhanced job performance in high-stress jobs. For example, real estate brokers who

exercised three times a week for twelve consecutive weeks had greater commissions during and

after the twelve weeks compared to those who declined participation in the study (Lovelace,

Manz, & Alves, 2007). Similarly, individuals who exercise according to the standards set by the

American Heart Association perform more consistently throughout the day, have a stronger heart,

and are less fatigued after a long day at work (Chtourou, Hamdi, & Souissi, 2012). One of the

greatest benefits of exercise is that it lowers stress levels, an essential characteristic in an

effective employee. As a result of lower stress levels, employees are able to be more productive

and resilient during their time at work, truly maximizing their time in the office. Although the

number one excuse for lack of exercise, specifically of working Americans, is that they dont

have enough time. But, as pointed out in the Journal of Managerial Psychology, people who say
 Effects of Exercise on Corporation Success 5

they cant find time to be fit should realize that a fitness program actually produces time (Neck

& Cooper, 2000, p. 834).

Why Fitness Enhances Job Performance:

The benefits of exercise have been long known and researched by both biologists and

psychologists. The rationale for the increased performance in the workplace due to exercise can

be explained partially by biology. For example, a positive consequence of exercise is a lower

resting heart rate. This is because frequent exercisers have a higher maximum oxygen uptake and

as a result can exert themselves longer without fatigue. As a result, fit employees and CEOs carry

their physical resilience into the workplace, which explains the increase in task efficiency and

productivity (Lovelace et al., 2007). Similarly, exercise results in a large secretion of serotonin,

norepinephrine, and endorphins by the endocrine system. All of these neurotransmitters

positively affect ones mood, which explain the positive mood states after exercise and the

increased satisfaction with fit CEOs (King et al., 2014) (Frew & Bruning, 1988).

Conclusion:

The positive benefits of exercise for working individuals discussed in this review should

not be ignored. When examining the benefits of exercise from both lenses, psychological and

biological, it is logical that exercise makes employees and executives more effective in the

workplace. Given the recent rise in Americas obesity epidemic, corporations and businesses

should highly consider physical fitness when hiring new employees and perhaps consider

implementing a company-wide exercise program to encourage fitness among the entire office.

This subject should become increasingly more relevant to businesses and hiring practices alike

because exercise is a (sometimes) free tool to enhance performance across the entire office.
 Effects of Exercise on Corporation Success 6

References

Chtourou, Hamdi, and Nizar Souissi. "The effect of training at a specific time of day: a review."

The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 26.7 (2012): 1984-2005.

Frew, D. R., & Bruning, N. S. (1988). Improved Productivity and Job Satisfaction Through

Employee. Hospital materiel management quarterly, 9(4), 62.

King, Eden B., et al. "Waistlines and Ratings of Executives: Does Executive Status Overcome

Obesity Stigma?." Human Resource Management (2014).

Limbach, P., & Sonnenburg, F. (2015). Does CEO fitness matter?.

Lovelace, K. J., Manz, C. C., & Alves, J. C. (2007). Work stress and leadership development:

The role of self-leadership, shared leadership, physical fitness and flow in managing

demands and increasing job control. Human Resource Management Review, 17(4), 374-

387.

Johnston, A. (2015, May 20). Andrew Johnston: What is the Best Business Education? Run a

Marathon. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=oW91ATcgXVc

Neck, C. P., & Cooper, K. H. (2000). The fit executive: Exercise and diet guidelines for

enhancing performance. The Academy of Management Executive, 14(2), 72-83.