How exercise can boost mental health and relieve stress while boosting productivity

18th April 2024

Meanwhile, regular exercise, the Mental Health Foundation reports, increases self-esteem and lowers levels of anxiety and stress. So for anyone experiencing mental health issues, physical activity can make a real difference to their quality of life. 

Either combined with medication and talking therapies or completed on its own, physical activity can make a great alternative treatment for depression. After all, there are few side effects and it’s a cost-effective, empowering approach. And, as with anything else, you can always start your exercise regime relatively gently and build it up, while setting yourself goals to give you targets to work towards. 

What is perhaps less often discussed, however, is the role of exercise in reducing stress and increasing productivity at work. Equally, you may not be fully aware of the extent of the problem of poor mental health in the UK workplace – yet this cost the British economy £102bn last year, according to research from insurance firm Axa UK. (Globally, that figure was £2.1 trillion.) 

The company’s fourth yearly Mind health study involved 16,000 participants across three continents including Europe. Broken down, that figure of £102bn covers the cost of  sick days, lost productivity and staff members leaving their jobs completely. 

Other key findings included: 

• More than half (53%) had had a well-being absence linked to emotional distress 
• A fifth (20%) said they were ‘struggling’ and one in three (33%) said they were ‘languishing’ rather than thriving 
• Three-quarters had problems including not sleeping, a lack of confidence and stress because of work 
• Well over a third (37%) said they had a mental health condition, a rise from 33% in 2022
• Nearly a quarter (24%) of the respondents globally said they were thriving – for the UK, that figure is less than a fifth (18%) 
• Nearly three-quarters (72%) of those aged 18-24 said employee benefits related to mental health and well-being were a key factor in deciding whether to remain in their current job

The chief executive of Axa UK and Ireland told journalists: “A supportive workplace environment has a critical role to play. Poor mind health comes at a huge cost to the UK and global economies. Employers have a duty to respond to this.” 

In summary, employers shouldn’t forget the importance of exercise to the well-being of their staff. 

If you install an outdoor gym for your workplace, for people to use before or after work or at lunchtimes, your teams will reap all the rewards of physical activity listed above, alongside the obvious benefits of being outside in the fresh air. 

At Fresh Air Fitness, we’re award-winning providers of outdoor gym equipment across the UK, supplying parks, local authorities and others with a range of machines designed to give users a full-body workout. Talk to us about installing an all-purpose open-air gym at your workplace – and watch levels of motivation, employee satisfaction, well-being and productivity soar.