In a new study, researchers found employers could help staff reduce their risk of heart disease by 15% if they introduced specialized exercise bikes to the workplace.
They found that staff who cycle for just 18 minutes per week could get health benefits—which also include improved fitness and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
The research was conducted by a team at the University of Stirling and elsewhere.
Many people do not perform enough exercise and, therefore, are at increased risk of developing diseases including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
One of the most commonly reported reasons for not meeting physical activity recommendations is a lack of time—with people leading busy lives, spending long working days sitting at desks, and commuting by car.
The team has spent the last eight years looking at alternative exercise routines to help people reap the health benefits of exercise in less time.
As part of the research, exercise bikes were introduced to office settings, and volunteers were asked to cycle for 8 minutes 40 seconds twice a week—a fraction of the 150 minutes of moderate exercise recommended under government guidelines.
The novel exercise routine—known as reduced-exertion high-intensity interval training (REHIT) – allows participants to wear their work clothes and avoids the need for a post-workout shower, due to the low sweat response.
REHIT involves easy pedaling on a stationary bike, interspersed with two short bursts of high-intensity cycling. It is time-efficient and perceived as being manageable by our research participants.
Twenty-five previously inactive office employees from local authority offices in Stirling and Swansea were recruited for the research.
Thirteen of the volunteers were allocated to the exercise group, while the others formed the control group, who continued with their regular lifestyle.
The research used CAR.O.L bikes, which differ to regular gym bikes by enabling users to reach their own maximum exercise intensity for very short durations.
They were set up in the workplace, out of view from colleagues, and participants completed two sessions a week for six weeks.
Each session lasted for 8 minutes and 40 seconds and combined easy pedaling with two short bursts of high-intensity cycling.
The team found the REHIT routine was effective at improving the general health of the research participants. VO2max increased by around 10% compared to the control group, which equates to a risk reduction for getting heart disease in later life of 15%.
They expect that continuing with the REHIT routine would improve VO2max further—again, further reducing the risk of heart disease.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the research team acknowledges that employers may be reluctant to introduce workplace exercise in the immediate future—and any move to do so would have to meet hygiene and social distancing guidance.
However, they believe their findings provide an important insight into the possibilities that could be considered as workplaces return to ‘normal’.
One author of the study is Dr. Niels Vollaard, of the University’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport.
The study is published in BMC Public Health.
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