The dual mediating effect of physical exercise on job performance: a conservation of resources perspective.

Introduction: Physical exercise has been widely shown to benefit employees' psychological functioning; however, less is known about how these benefits are translated into work-related outcomes. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study examines whether and how physical exercise influences job performance through the mediating roles of positive affect and self-efficacy. Methods: A three-wave time-lagged survey was conducted among full-time employees in China. Physical exercise was measured at Time 1, positive affect and self-efficacy at Time 2, and job performance at Time 3. The hypothesized mediation model was tested using PROCESS Model 4 with 5,000 bootstrap samples. Results: The results indicate that physical exercise significantly predicts both positive affect and self-efficacy, and that these psychological resources are positively associated with job performance. When positive affect and self-efficacy are included simultaneously in the model, the direct effect of physical exercise on job performance is substantially reduced and becomes non-significant, whereas the indirect effects through both mediators remain significant, underscoring the dominant role of the mediated pathways. Discussion: These findings suggest that the effects of physical exercise on job performance are primarily transmitted through psychological resources rather than through a direct mechanism. From a theoretical perspective, this study demonstrates that physical exercise functions as an upstream resource investment behavior whose performance benefits are mainly realized through the accumulation and deployment of psychological resources, thereby extending COR theory to the non-work domain. From a practical perspective, the results imply that organizational initiatives aimed at enhancing job performance through physical exercise should prioritize interventions that effectively foster employees' positive affect and self-efficacy, rather than merely encouraging participation in exercise activities.