Exercise in the workplace: examining the receptivity of practical and time-efficient stair-climbing “exercise snacks”

Abstract

In the workplace, people are often sedentary for prolonged time and do not regularly engage in physical activity—two factors independently linked to premature morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the receptivity of incorporating practical stair-climbing “exercise snacks” (Snacks; three isolated bouts of ascending 53–60 stairs performed sporadically throughout the day) into workplace settings compared to more traditional high-intensity interval training (HIIT; performed as three bouts of 53-60 stairs within a structured HIIT workout) and to explore if these exercise strategies could influence sedentary and physical activity behaviour. Fourteen participants (12 women; Mage = 38.9 ± 10.2 years) completed two supervised exercise trials (Snacks and HIIT) followed by 1 week participating in either form of exercise in their workplace. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), affective valence, enjoyment, and self-efficacy were measured at the supervised exercise sessions. During the follow-up period, sedentary behaviour and physical activity were measured with an accelerometer. Affective valence was more positive ( p = 0.03; η2 p = 0.21) and there was a lower rise in RPE ( p = 0.01; η2 p = 0.29) during Snacks than HIIT. Post-exercise enjoyment of, and self-efficacy towards, Snacks and HIIT were high and similar ( ps > 0.05). After the supervised trials, 10/14 of the participants preferred Snacks and 4/14 preferred HIIT ( p = 0.18). On days when participants chose to perform either exercise modality, the average number of sit-to-stands in a 24 h period was increased (48.3 ± 8.7 to 52.8 ± 7.8; p = 0.03; Hedge's g = 0.73) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity tended to increase (21.9 ± 18.2 to 38.1 ± 22.1 min; p = 0.06; Hedge's g = 0.60) compared to days when they chose not to exercise. Stair-climbing exercise snacks may be an attractive approach to implement in the workplace setting and has potential to positively impact sedentary behaviour and physical activity metrics.