The relationship of job performance to exercise adherence in a corporate fitness program

An investigation of the relationship between exercise adherence and job performance was conducted over a six-month period among a group of white-collar workers (3,231) eligible to participate in a corporate fitness program. The study population was divided into four job categories - management (561), professional (1,265), clerical (1,078), and other (327) - and five exercise adherence groups - nonmember (1,090), nonexerciser (926), exercised less than one time per week (738), exercised one to two times per week (238), and exercised more than two times per week (239). Current job performance ratings were determined for all individuals. A strong association (p less than .01) was observed between above average performance and increasing adherence levels. An inverse relationship was demonstrated between poor performance and increasing adherences levels (p less than .0001). In each adherence group no differences in performance were noted when prior performance was compared with current performance. On the basis of these findings there appears to be a positive although probably noncausal relationship between exercise adherence in a corporate fitness program and above average job performance.