Daily Physical Activity and Aerobic Endurance of Office Workers

Objectives*
Health issues can influence job performance and further impact productivity when employees are unable to
present their performance. Lower aerobic capacity is associated with reduced ability to sustain intensive tasks,
as it limits endurance and efficiency.
The aim of the study is to assess the physical activity and aerobic endurance of office workers.
Materials and Methods
51 office workers participated in the study (89% women and 11% men, with a mean age of 42.2±10.1 years).
Data were collected using the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the
6-Minute Walk Test (6-MWT). The questionnaire process and the collection of data from the 6-MWT of respon-
dents took place anonymously, with the permission of the Research Ethics Committee of Rīga Stradiņš Univer-
sity. Mathematical statistics (descriptive statistics and correlation) were used. This research was funded by
the framework of the Plan of the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility and the State budget grant
RSU/LSPA-PA-2024/1-0013.
Results
The results have shown that 41% of office workers do not participate in vigorous physical activities, while 19%
participate in them two days a week. On the other hand, 19% of office workers do not participate in moderate
physical activities during the week. The results of the 6-MWT study indicate that 88% are healthy people, the
average test result ranges from 400 to 700 meters. 59% of them spend 480 minutes or more sitting per day. There
is a correlation between the time spent participating in moderate physical activities and the distance covered
in the 6-MWT test, and the longer the employees sit, the less distance covered in the 6-MWT.
Conclusions
Explored connection between daily moderate physical activity, sitting time, and aerobic endurance, it is im-
portant for office workers to decrease their sedentary behavior. In the future, complex solutions would be
necessary to promote physical activity in the workplace.