The transition to remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the physical activity levels of office workers, leading to increased sedentary behaviours and associated health risks. Research has consistently shown that remote workers are less active than their office-based counterparts. However, effective interventions tailored to increase physical activity among remote workers are scarce, highlighting a critical gap in current health promotion strategies.

In response, a research team from the University of Tsukuba initiated a pilot study to explore the effectiveness of a structured physical activity program targeted at remote workers. This study employed an open-label randomized controlled trial design involving 52 remote workers randomly assigned to either an intervention or a control group. The intervention group participated in an eight-week, multicomponent physical activity promotion program delivered remotely. This comprehensive program included individual strategies such as lectures, printed materials, goal setting, feedback, and motivational posters; sociocultural strategies aimed at team-building and creating a supportive environment; and organizational strategies featuring company executives’ encouragement.

Conversely, the control group received only a minimal intervention, consisting of posters promoting physical activity. Despite the disparate intervention levels, the trial’s final analysis revealed no significant differences in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels between the two groups over the eight weeks. This outcome suggests that while the program was robust in content, its impact on intense physical activity was limited.

However, the intervention group showed considerable improvements in less vigorous forms of physical activity. Notably, there was an increase of 14 minutes per day in light physical activity and a significant rise of 9.4 minutes per day in moderate-to-vigorous activity during working hours. Furthermore, the intervention led to an increase of 984 steps per working day. Intriguingly, even the control group, which had less interactive intervention, showed an increase of 895 steps per working day.

These results demonstrate the feasibility and potential benefits of a multicomponent physical activity program for remote workers. They suggest that such interventions can effectively enhance various physical activity levels, even if they do not significantly alter the most vigorous forms of activity. The findings provide a foundation for developing future strategies and action plans to promote physical activity among the increasingly common demographic of remote workers in Japan and potentially in other regions.

More information: Jihoon Kim et al, Effectiveness of a multicomponent intervention to promote physical activity among Japanese remote workers: a pilot open-label randomized controlled trial, Journal of Occupational Health. DOI: 10.1093/joccuh/uiae052

Journal information: Journal of Occupational Health Provided by University of Tsukuba