Author(s): COLINO, E., LARIA, A., SAMPER RIVAS, M., Institution: UNIVERSIDAD FRANCISCO DE VITORIA, Country: SPAIN, Abstract-ID: 2566

INTRODUCTION:
Workplace active breaks may counteract sedentary behaviour (1), yet limited evidence exists regarding the influence of age and adherence on functional adaptations. The purpose of this study was to examine, in a 6-week pilot intervention, whether a workplace active break programme improves functional fitness in female university staff, and whether age and attendance influence responsiveness.
METHODS:
Twenty-eight women (14 <50 years, 14 >=50 years) participated in a 6-week intervention consisting of supervised 10-min sessions (strength, mobility, flexibility), 5 days per week during working hours. Outcomes included the 30-s chair stand test (CST), toe touch test (TTT), and handgrip strength (dominant and non-dominant). Pre-post changes were analysed using paired tests. Associations between attendance percentage (%Att) and performance improvements were investigated only for variables showing significant changes. Age effects were explored through subgroup analyses and regression models including an interaction term.
RESULTS:
CST improved substantially overall (15.93 (3.75) to 22.89 (5.13) repetitions; mean change +6.96 (4.48); p<0.001; d=1.55). Improvements were significant in both <50 (+8.00 (3.57), p<0.001) and >=50 years (+5.93 (5.17), p=0.001), with no significant difference between age groups (p=0.23). TTT showed a small, non-significant improvement (p=0.064). Handgrip strength did not improve in either the dominant or non-dominant hand (p>=0.45). Attendance percentage was positively associated with CST improvement (r=0.40, p=0.035). This relationship was stronger in women >=50 years (r=0.61, p=0.021) than in those <50 years (r=0.18, p=0.53), although the age interaction term was not statistically significant (p=0.18).
CONCLUSION:
A brief, structured workplace active break programme elicited large improvements in lower-body functional strength in female employees, irrespective of age. While mean gains did not differ significantly between younger and older women, adherence appeared particularly relevant for optimising adaptations in participants aged >=50 years, suggesting a potentially greater dose-response sensitivity in older employees.
These findings support the implementation of short, supervised exercise breaks as a practical strategy to preserve functional capacity in ageing working populations and to promote healthy ageing in the workplace. Future research should confirm these findings in larger samples, explore long-term sustainability, and examine whether adherence-targeted strategies enhance functional outcomes in ageing occupational populations.

(1) Parry, S., Straker, L., Gilson, N. D., & Smith, A. J. (2013). Participatory workplace interventions can reduce sedentary time for office workers--a randomised controlled trial. PloS one, 8(11), e78957. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0078957