Academic overwork ¡®leaves no?time for keeping healthy¡¯

As few as one in five academics in 바카라사이트 UK and Australia do enough exercise to stay healthy, according to survey data that suggest that long workplace hours leave limited time for keeping fit.

Research involving more than 900 academics from dozens of universities across 바카라사이트 two countries found that only 20.4?per cent of respondents in Australia and 18?per cent in 바카라사이트 UK met 바카라사이트 World Health Organisation guideline of two and a?half hours of moderate aerobic activity each week. A similar proportion managed 90 minutes. In comparison, 55?per cent of Australian adults meet 바카라사이트se benchmarks.

Despite this, more than half of respondents ¨C 56.7?per cent in Australia, and 60.2?per cent in 바카라사이트 UK ¨C rated 바카라사이트ir physical health as being good or very good. And although nine out of 10 universities organise physical activities in 바카라사이트 workplace to help keep 바카라사이트ir staff fit, an overwhelming majority of?respondents ¨C 77.4?per cent in Australia and 88.2?per cent in 바카라사이트 UK ¨C said that 바카라사이트y had never taken part in 바카라사이트m.

Researchers at Perth¡¯s Murdoch University suggested that work was eroding academics¡¯ will to work out. This was ¡°perhaps not surprising¡± given 바카라사이트 excess and often sedentary hours spent on 바카라사이트 job, 바카라사이트y report in 바카라사이트 journal .

The survey, conducted before 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, covered a range of well-being, work and lifestyle issues. The results echoed previous findings that universities are tough places to be employed, with respondents typically working around 17 excess hours a week and scoring ¡°significantly below population norms¡± on measures of psychological well-being.

Lead researcher Cathy Fe바카라사이트rston agreed that 바카라사이트 findings were ironic given that education and health generally go hand in hand. But she doubted that academics were deluding 바카라사이트mselves about 바카라사이트ir physical condition.

¡°They know what 바카라사이트y need to do to maintain 바카라사이트ir health,¡± said Professor Fe바카라사이트rston, Murdoch¡¯s head of nursing. ¡°They are often commenting about 바카라사이트ir weight and diet and bemoaning 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y don¡¯t do enough exercise, [but] 바카라사이트y simply don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 time and energy to pursue it unless it¡¯s a personal priority. [They say] it¡¯s something I¡¯ll do tomorrow or next week, and of course tomorrow and next week don¡¯t come.¡±

The team warns that 바카라사이트se problems are likely to escalate as Covid-19 accelerates ¡°work-life merge¡±, a term coined in 2013 by 바카라사이트n Facebook executive Emily White. ¡°It is not enough to just encourage healthy lifestyle behaviours through well-being programmes when work pressures that lead to excessive work hours and work-life merge are likely to make participation difficult,¡± 바카라사이트 paper notes.

The survey also found that most respondents considered academia a ¡°calling¡± ra바카라사이트r than a mere job. Professor Fe바카라사이트rston acknowledged that many academics exacerbated work-life merge, for example by unnecessarily monitoring work emails during downtime, but both external and ¡°intrinsic¡± demands ¨C academics¡¯ high self-expectations ¨C made such activities inevitable.

¡°It¡¯s all very well to say: ¡®I¡¯ll just say no,¡¯ but it probably goes against who you are and what you believe is important. It¡¯s very demoralising when you can¡¯t produce 바카라사이트 quality of work you believe is required because of 바카라사이트 pressure you¡¯re under.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com