Someone once said that “[a] man’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time – pills or stairs.” It seems that physical exercise is not only good for our fitness but can also help us manage our work-life balance better.

Check out: How Regular Exercise Helps You Balance Work and Family

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Glossary

• endowment – funds or property donated to institutions or individuals
• adhere – believe in and follow the practices of
• seminal – strongly influencing later developments
• regimen – a prescribed course of medical treatment, diet, or exercise for the promotion or restoration of health
• tradeoff – a balance achieved between two desirable but incompatible features; a compromise
• efficacy – the ability to produce a desired or intended result
• facility – a place, amenity, or piece of equipment provided for a particular purpose
• embrace – accept (a belief, theory, or change) willingly and enthusiastically
• indulge – allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of

Think about it

Answer the questions below.

• What are the similarities and differences between Matthew and Luke?
• What is the formal definition of physical exercise by Caspesen et al?
• What does “[t]hat” in the sentence “That’s a somewhat counterintuitive finding” refer to?
• What is understood by “self-efficacy” How does self-efficacy influence people’s well-being?
• What can managers and HR professionals learn from the research?

Practice makes perfect

Find five mistakes in the paragraph below.

The pathways became evident in our researches. First, and last surprisingly, exercise reduces stress, and lower stress makes the time spent in either realm more productive and enjoyable. In Luke’s words, “exercise allows me leave my cares behind and provides me time to think.” A reduction of stress is tantamount to an expansion of time.

Fill in the blank spaces with the phrases in bold.

psychological strain   –   satisfying management   –   overwhelming support   –   selfish indulgence   –   direct impact

Perhaps more than anything, employers can help by getting the word out that exercise isn’t a _______ that inevitably requires some sacrifice on either the work or home front.  What we found was ________ for a positive relationship between regular exercise and ________ of the work-home interface. It isn’t only that exercise supports better physical health. Through its  on increased self-efficacy and reduced ________, exercise leads to better integration of professional and personal lives.

Fill in the blank spaces with the missing words. Use ONE word in each blank space.

Our research suggests that people ________ exercise regularly enjoy greater self-efficacy, and it carries over ________ their work and home roles. The theory resonates ________ Matthew. As he puts it, “an hour of exercise creates ________ feeling that lasts well beyond that hour spent ________ the gym.” Or take it from Luke, who competes in triathlons: “When I accomplish something ________ an exercise training session, I feel more confident in my professional and personal life.”

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