Author(s): NESPOLI, L., TUCCELLA, C., MAISTO, G., ZITO, P., PUGLIESE, L., BONAVOLONTA, V., VINCIGUERRA, M.G., Institution: UNIVERSITY OF L'AQUILA, Country: ITALY, Abstract-ID: 1345

INTRODUCTION:
University employees commonly exhibit sedentary behavior, which is associated with reduced physical fitness (PF) and adverse health outcomes. While structured workplace physical activity programs (WPAPs) have shown promising effects on PF, Active Breaks (ABs) - brief bouts of physical activity (PA) performed during work hours - are emerging as a potentially sustainable alternative. However, direct comparisons between these two approaches within the same occupational setting remain scarce. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of a WPAP and an AB intervention on PF in university employees.
METHODS:
A total of 33 employees (8 men, mean age: 57 ± 7.81 years) were allocated to a functional circuit training group (CT; n=11), an active breaks group (AB; n=11), or a control group (CG; n=11). CT and AB participated in a 12-week structured PA program. The CT group performed a 60-min functional circuit training twice weekly, alternating aerobic and resistance exercises. The ABs group performed a 10-min combined strength, aerobic, and mobility active breaks twice daily on four days per week, plus one 60-min mobility session on a separate day. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscular strength (handgrip, upper and lower limbs), mobility, core endurance, balance, body composition, and physical activity levels were evaluated at baseline (T0) and post-intervention (T1).
RESULTS:
CRF showed a significant main effect of time (p = 0.013) and group (p = 0.003), with higher post-intervention values in the CT group compared with both AB and CG (p < 0.05). Upper-limb muscular strength improved significantly over time (p = 0.007), with greater post-intervention performance in the CT group compared with other groups (p = 0.001). A significant group × time interaction was found for lower-limb muscular strength (p = 0.038), indicating greater improvements following the CT intervention. A significant between-group difference at post-intervention was observed for flexibility favoring the CT group over the CG group (p = 0.021).
CONCLUSION:
Both interventions contributed to counteracting sedentary behavior among university employees. Although the WPAP program elicited greater improvements in key components of PF, ABs represent a feasible and sustainable approach within the workday. These findings suggest that combining both WPAP and ABs may represent a valid strategy to effectively enhance PF outcomes and to maintain a healthy lifestyle.