The Relationship Between Physical Exercise and Job Performance: TheMediating Effects of Subjective Health and Good Mood

Abstract

This study gives an insight into to the relationship between physical exercise and job performance as well as mediating effects of the physical exercise-job performance relationship such as increased subjective health and good mood. At the present time, health care costs for companies are drastically increasing. Complications arise with individuals not being physically active. Obesity has now become the fourth largest cause of death in the world. In order for companies to think about ways to reduce costs, perhaps management can look to exercise as a way to improve employee performance, mood and subjective health. For the purpose of this study, physical exercise is defined as planned, structured, and repetitive activities aimed at improving physical fitness and health. Job performance is defined as employee behaviors that contribute to organizational goals. Mood is defined as particular feeling or state of mind experienced by the participant. Subjective health is defined as the perception of their own health. The questionnaire was conducted among 413 respondents working in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The participants received a structured questionnaire to assess demographic information as well as variables such as physical exercise, job performance, good mood and subjective health. The results of the data analysis supports the researcher’s hypotheses and mediational model whereby physical exercise had a significant relationship with job performance, and the mediating effects of good mood and subjective health were statistically significant to the physical exercise and job performance relationship.