Shift Work and Exercise

Approximately 3.6 million people in the United Kingdom work mostly on shifts, representing 14% of the British workforce. This proportion is similar in most other developed countries. Shift workers predominate in heavy industries and emergency services, but they are also increasingly found in finance and service industries. Data from epidemiological studies suggest that shift work, and especially night work, is associated with insomnia, gastrointestinal problems, obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Disruption of circadian rhythms during shift work is thought to be important in ...