Abstract
IntroductionDespite the positive impact walking has on human health, few opportunities exist for workers with largely sedentary jobs to increase physical activity while at work. The objective of this pilot study was to examine the implementation, feasibility, and acceptability of using a Walking Meeting (WaM) protocol to increase the level of work-related physical activity among a group of sedentary white-collar workers.MethodsWhite-collar workers at a large university were invited to participate in a newly developed WaM protocol. Workers who conducted weekly meetings in groups of 2 or 3 individuals were recruited for the pilot study (n = 18) that took place from January 2015 to August 2015. Seventeen participants wore an accelerometer to measure physical activity levels during 3 consecutive weeks (first week baseline, followed by 2 weeks of organized WaMs) and participated in focus groups conducted during week 3 to document experiences with the WaM protocol.ResultsThe WaM protocol met study criteria on feasibility, implementation, and acceptability among study participants. The average number of minutes (standard deviation) participants engaged in combined work-related moderate/vigorous physical activity per week during the 3 weeks increased from an average of 107 (55) minutes during the baseline week to 114 (67) minutes at week 2 and to 117 (65) minutes at week 3.ConclusionWhite- collar workers were supportive of transforming regular seated meetings into walking meetings and increased their work-related physical activity levels.
Highlights
Despite the positive impact walking has on human health, few opportunities exist for workers with largely sedentary jobs to increase physical activity (PA) while at work
We examined the implementation of the Walking Meeting (WaM) protocol and assessed the impact of the protocol on work-related PA levels in a sample of white-collar workers
Traditional seated meetings that were converted into a walking format using the WaM protocol increased moderate, vigorous, and very vigorous PA levels by 10 minutes among our sample of white-collar workers
Summary
Despite the positive impact walking has on human health, few opportunities exist for workers with largely sedentary jobs to increase physical activity while at work. The objective of this pilot study was to examine the implementation, feasibility, and acceptability of using a Walking Meeting (WaM) protocol to increase the level of work-related physical activity among a group of sedentary white-collar workers. The American Heart Association recommends walking for at least 30 minutes per day to reduce the risk for chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, breast and colon cancer, and type 2 diabetes [4]. Despite the positive impact walking has on human health, few opportunities exist for workers with largely sedentary jobs to increase PA while at work
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