Drivers of productivity: Being physically active increases yet sedentary bouts and lack of sleep decrease work ability

Physical behavior (ie, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep) is a crucial lifestyle factor for preventing and managing diseases across the lifespan. However, less is known about potential work-related psychological and cognitive outcomes such as productivity. The present study examined within-person associations between physical behavior and self-perceived work ability. To investigate the degree to which physical behavior parameters influence self-perceived work ability in everyday life, we conducted an Ambulatory Assessment study in 103 university students over 5 days. Physical behavior was assessed continuously via a multi-sensor system. Self-perceived work ability was assessed repeatedly up to six times per day on smartphones. We employed multilevel modeling to analyze the within-person effects of physical behavior on self-perceived work ability. Physical activity intensity (MET) (β = 0.15 ± 0.06, t = 2.59, p = 0.012) and sit-to-stand transitions (β = 0.07 ± 0.03, t = 2.44, p = 0.015) were positively associated with self-perceived work ability. Sedentary bouts (≥20 min) (β = −0.21 ± 0.08, t = −2.74, p = 0.006) and deviation from a recommended sleep duration (ie, 8 h) (β = −0.1 ± 0.04, t = −2.38, p = 0.018) were negatively associated with self-perceived work ability. Exploratory analyses supported the robustness of our findings by comparing various time frames. Total sedentary time and sleep quality were not associated with self-perceived work ability. Regular sleep durations, breaking up sedentary time through sit-to-stand transitions, and higher intensities of physical activity may be important for the regulation of self-perceived work ability in university students’ daily lives.