Stressed Out at Work? Exercise Might Help

Research suggests being fit could help protect against stress and anxiety in the workplace

Kimberly Goad

Updated October 23, 2025

A man using a laptop at a desk in an office

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Stressed on the job? You’re hardly alone. Job-related stress affects more than half of working Americans, according to a 2025 survey from the American Psychological Association. The survey found top stressors include job insecurity, lack of managerial support, ageism and the isolation and blurred boundaries that come with working remotely. These can all do a number on us.

The good news: There’s a way to dial down stress levels and guard against the health problems that arise from job stress, researchers say. The solution: exercise.

Stressed-out workers protected by physical activity

A review of research published in 2025 in Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation suggests that regular exercise not only helps alleviate occupational stress and anxiety, but it can also have a ripple effect that leads to an overall improvement in health habits both on the clock and off.

In reviewing the data, which included 12 studies published between 2019 and 2024, the researchers found that aerobic activity — whether it’s dance class, jogging, swimming or cycling — had the biggest impact. But mindfulness-based activities such as tai chi and yoga also played a role in reducing stress and improving well-being. Regular strength training — weightlifting and resistance band exercises three times a week — helped reduce work-related fatigue.

“Some people are more vulnerable to anxiety and stress than others,” says Tamar Mendelson, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who was not involved in the study. “Exercise can have a positive effect on how we respond to stress and may be a great tool for people who struggle with stress management.”

In one study, published in 2023 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, scientists looked at the combined effect of working stressful jobs that required high effort but provided low reward, as perceived by nearly 6,500 office workers. The participants, men and women with an average age of 45, worked in senior management, professional, technical and office worker roles; some had no high school diploma, while others had a university degree.

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After 18 years, the men had twice the risk of heart disease as men who said they were free of such job stressors, which is similar to the impact of obesity on coronary heart disease. In women, the study results were inconclusive. Other research suggests that fitness serves as a barrier between perceived workplace stress and cardiovascular risk factors, in particular. In other words, even the most stressed-out workers had fewer cardiovascular risk factors if they worked out regularly.

Employees on call 24/7

Further ratcheting up stress levels: a perceived round-the-clock work day that’s hard to escape, especially in a post-pandemic world where almost 8 in 10 people work remotely at least part of the time, according to a 2025 Gallup poll.

“Workplace stress can become a chronic problem because occupational environments don’t improve overnight, and employee working conditions aren’t a major priority for many organizations,” says Jagdish Khubchandani, a professor of public health at New Mexico State University. “It’s difficult to survive and be productive when you’re emotionally and psychologically challenged.”

Plus, Khubchandani adds, both short-term and chronic stress caused by factors such as job insecurity and lack of managerial support can alter body function and physiology, leading to major health risks. Common symptoms include elevated heart rate and blood pressure, dizziness and excessive sweating, anger and irritability, as well as headaches, back pain and upset stomach.

“In today’s times, employees need to fend for themselves and focus on their health and quality of life,” he says. “Exercise is a major strategy for that goal.”

Building exercise and mindfulness into workdays

Fitting a walk, jog or another enjoyable physical activity into your hectic work schedule may at first seem counterintuitive. But, as Mendelson points out, it not only buffers against or reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety, “it can also increase joy and happiness and help you build up psychological resilience for whatever comes your way, so you feel less overwhelmed.”

Acknowledging the brain and body benefits of exercise, a growing number of employers have started offering yoga or exercise classes, holding health fairs or sponsoring fundraising physical activities such as charity walks, runs and bike rides. But if your employer hasn’t, consider investing in your own physical health just as you do your professional development.

It doesn’t have to be a huge investment of time or money. Simply lace up your sneakers and hit the pavement during your lunch hour or wake up a little earlier than usual to jog or get to the gym.

You can even multitask by biking to the office or hopping off public transportation one stop early and walking the rest of the way to work. If you fit in a workout first thing, “you’ll feel more energetic and ready to take on the day,” Mendelson says. And that, in turn, will affect your job performance a lot more than downing that third cup of coffee.