- It has been reported that exercise has some kind of effect on work concentration and stress.
- The evidence score for work concentration is 59 (moderate).
- The populations studied range widely, from children to older adults to healthcare workers.
Exercise is the act of moving the body.
It is treated in various contexts as a form of physical activity.
There is research examining what effect exercise has on performance at work, particularly on "concentration." Two research reports are introduced here.
The first is a study of children. This study involved 243 children. Specifically, a randomized controlled trial (a reliable research method that randomly divides participants to compare effects) was conducted with 135 in the intervention group and 108 in the control group. When a program involving physical movement was implemented in the classroom, an improvement was reported in behavior associated with staying focused on tasks. In other words, this suggests that a mechanism for moving the body during class may be related to task concentration.
The other is a study of older adults. A cohort study (a research method that continuously observes a specific group over a set period) followed a small group of 22 people who had undergone surgery, over a period of 14 days. This study's results showed that people with higher levels of physical activity after surgery tended to show less decline in attention. Here, "attention" refers to bottom-up attention (a mechanism by which awareness is more easily drawn toward external stimuli), and it has been reported that an active state may affect this ease of drawing awareness.
Next is the relationship with "work stress." There are 4 studies in this area, but results are known to differ depending on the situation.
First, there is research involving healthcare workers. A meta-analysis (a method that statistically combines and analyzes the results of multiple studies) based on 41 RCTs (a reliable research method that randomly divides participants to compare effects) conducted to date suggests that intervention may reduce short-term stress symptoms. In addition, a systematic review (a method that gathers papers according to predetermined criteria and analyzes them together) involving 11,500 medical students also reported that physical activity is associated with burnout and QoL (quality of life, an indicator of whether one is living a healthy and fulfilling life).
On the other hand, some studies have shown results that require caution. A cross-sectional study (a method that investigates a state at a single point in time to examine associations) involving 8,716 workers reported that vigorous physical activity during work was, conversely, associated with increased work stress and reduced satisfaction. Another study also showed that high levels of physical activity reduced risk by 79% or 84%. In this way, the effect on stress is not uniform and depends on the content and context of the exercise. The evidence score for work stress is 48 (limited).
| Study | Design | Number of Participants | Duration | Main Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine (2025, PMID:40898551) | Cohort study | 22 | 14 days | A positive effect was reported |
| Medicine and science in sports and exercise (2006, PMID:17146314) | Randomized controlled trial (RCT) | 243 | Not reported | A positive effect was reported |
| The Cochrane database of systematic reviews (2023, PMID:37169364) | Meta-analysis | 11119 | Not reported | A positive effect was reported |
| International journal of environmental research and public health (2021, PMID:34769739) | Cross-sectional study | 8716 | Not reported | A possible negative effect was reported |
| Frontiers in public health (2024, PMID:39529708) | Cross-sectional study | 100 | Not reported | A positive effect was reported |
| The clinical teacher (2022, PMID:36052814) | Systematic review | 11500 | Not reported | A positive effect was reported |
Participants include 22 older patients aged 65 and over who underwent lower-limb orthopedic surgery, 243 children, 11,119 healthcare workers, 8,716 workers aged 18 to 65, 100 participants, and 11,500 medical students.
Because the participant profiles are so varied, this can serve as a reference point for comparing with your own situation.
This is based on a total of 6 research reports.
The study designs include several formats: meta-analyses, cross-sectional studies, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and cohort studies.
In addition, some studies with conflicting results have been reported regarding work stress.
What effect does exercise have on work concentration?
Research has been reported showing that exercise has a positive effect on work concentration. This includes randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies, with moderate reliability.
What is the relationship between work stress and exercise?
There are reports that exercise has a positive effect on work stress. On the other hand, some research suggests that vigorous physical activity may increase stress.
What is the effect of exercise among healthcare workers and students?
Research has been conducted involving medical students and healthcare workers. In these studies, exercise has been reported to be associated with burnout and stress.
These 6 studies suggest that exercise may be related to work concentration and stress in various ways. However, because results regarding stress differ depending on the situation, more research is still needed before definitively stating what kind of exercise has what kind of effect. This content is based on a limited number of studies. Try using a self-check to see whether there's a method that suits your own way of working.