Do people who move more report less burnout?
In one study of employees, people who did about 26 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity plus 30 to 60 minutes of light activity a day had the lowest odds of burnout. The study measured people at one point in time, so it shows an association, not a cause.
What was studied
Kim et al. studied 7,973 employees aged 19 to 65. Participants reported how much physical activity they did over the past 7 days using a standard questionnaire (the short-form IPAQ). Burnout was scored with the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, and a person counted as burned out when their score was above the group average by more than one standard deviation.
What was found
- 15.8% of participants (1,262 people) were classed as burned out.
- Higher physical activity, in both amount and duration, went with lower burnout.
- The lowest odds of burnout were about 62% lower than the comparison group (odds ratio 0.38, 95% confidence interval 0.27 to 0.55). This was seen in people doing at least about 26 minutes a day of moderate-to-vigorous activity plus 30 to 60 minutes a day of light activity.
What it does not show
The study asked people once. It cannot say whether activity lowered burnout, whether people with less burnout had more energy to be active, or whether something else explains both. Activity was self-reported. The participants were employees of one kind of population, so the result may differ elsewhere.
What it means for the working week
Time to move is partly a matter of how the day is arranged. A working day that leaves no room for it makes the pattern in this study harder to follow. The study does not say what an employer should do.
For the definition of what people have available to keep going, see what is employee capacity on employeecapacity.com.
Citation
- Kim ES, Oh DJ, Kim J, Oh KS, Shin YC, Shin D, Cho SJ, Jeon SW. The association between physical activity and burnout among healthy Korean employees: identifying recommended physical activity ranges. Journal of Affective Disorders, 2025;389:119665. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2025.119665
Cite this page: thrive at work research team. (2026). Do people who move more report less burnout? Human Performance Research. https://humanperformanceresearch.com/evidence/movement-and-burnout/