Going to the gym may be good for your mental health at work, and your career, a new study from Israel suggests.

Researchers found that workers who participated in some form of physical activity had lower rates of depression and burnout at work.  The best results were in workers who exercised for four hours a week, as they were half as likely to experience such mental health deteriorations.

Researchers Sharon Toker, of Tel Aviv University, and Michal Biron, of the University of Haifa, looked at 1,632 Israeli workers in private and public sector jobs. The workers completed questionnaires and had routine checkups over a nine-year period.

The workers were broken up into four groups: one that did not work out, one that exercised for 75 to 100 minutes a week, one that exercised for 150 to 240 minutes a week and a last group that worked out for more than 240 minutes a week.

The researchers found that the best results were seen in workers who exercised at least 150 minutes weekly. Additionally, the authors found that depression and work burnout rates were highest in the group that did not exercise at all. Improvements in health can be attributed to the fact that working out improves self-efficacy and self-esteem.

The research also showed that an increase in depression can trigger an increase in burnout at work, and vice versa. To prevent mental health deterioration, employers can provide flexible hours that allow workers to exercise, build gyms on company grounds and sponsor memberships to gyms in the community, according to Toker.

This story was provided by BusinessNewsDaily, a sister site to MyHealthNewsDaily. Follow 

BusinessNewsDaily staff writer David Mielach on Twitter @D_M89.