An Exercise Based Approach to Physician Burnout

Burnout in healthcare professionals is a widely documented trend. Individuals in healthcare may be at more of a risk for occupational burnout due to a variety of factors; including, long hours, time away from family, and patient relations (West, 2018). The result of chronic burnout can lead to a plethora of adverse health effects which include cardiovascular disease, depression, substance abuse, etc. (West, 2018). Previous research conducted has demonstrated exercise’s ability to mitigate burnout in healthcare physicians. Different forms of acute aerobic exercise have the ability to, “Facilitate subjective emotional recovery from a subsequent stressor” (Bernstein, 2017). To better understand the role that exercise plays in the lives of medical professionals, a survey was conducted in person and through phone to a sample group that included physicians, nurses, physician assistants, and medical students. It was shown that individuals who reported a higher level of burnout experienced did not spend as much time exercising on average. The results also reveal that older individuals did not spend as much time exercising. Exercise’s tremendous potential cannot be limited to younger healthcare professionals. It will be demonstrated that the use of daily aerobic exercise can be implemented across a wide variety of different healthcare professionals to aid with mental and physical well-being.