Background. Research shows that physical exercise (PE) has a positive impact on physical and psychological wellbeing. Previous studies highlighted that it is not a matter of whether we exercise or not, but rather how that PE is psychologically experienced. Much remains to be known as to how specific PE characteristics (e.g., frequency) affect these benefits.
Hypotheses/Research Questions. The research question is: what kind of PE characteristics improve personal and work-related wellbeing states? We will explore these characteristics from both a between and within person approach in two distinct phases.
Sample Characteristics and Sample Size. Data were collected online. Sample in Study 1 was composed of 799 subjects, all of them employed (73% teleworking), 58% women with an average age of 41.9 years. Sample in Study 2 was made of 70 people that participated in a diary study: all are employed (87% teleworked), 77% were women with a mean age of 38 years.
Design. In study 1, we used a cross-sectional design observing descriptive statistics and ANOVAs between-subjects. On study 2 (diary study) we collected data through a week during three distinct moments of the day, with multilevel analyses of within-subject variance.
Results. The higher levels of PE engagement are associated with duration, frequency and intensity of PE and whether the subjects were accompanied doing PE during confinement. In turn, people who experience higher levels of PE engagement show higher levels of positive outcomes at work (e.g., performance, engagement). Moreover, daily levels of positive emotions and life satisfaction were higher on days where PE sessions spanned from 90 to 120 minutes in length, and when respondents were accompanied during PE.
Scientific Contribution. Our results shed light on the specific characteristics of PE that can have a positive impact on different aspects of general and work-specific measures of wellbeing.