exertion has definitions from the field of work
1
[ noun ] (work) use of physical or mental energy; hard work

Examples

"he got an A for effort" "they managed only with great exertion"

Used in print

(David Boroff, "Jewish Teen-Age Culture"...)

In their first two years in high_school , Jewish boys in this town make strenuous exertions to win positions on the school teams .

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