Adaptabilidades físicas, económicas y psicosociales a la organización e influencia de un programa de ejercicio físico supervisado en puestos de trabajo físicamente inactivos

Abstract

Introduction: Physical inactivity is considered a health risk factor with a direct impact on several aspects of our daily life, some of them of paramount importance such as work performance. Objective: Evaluation of the incidence of two physical exercise programs systematized and supervised by experts in the field of physical exercise in three Spanish companies with sedentary jobs on physical, economic and psychosocial variables that affect employees. Methodology: A global physical exercise intervention was performed in three companies nationwide. A prospective experimental study was designed with two random groups before and after the program. The subjects could be assigned either to an experimental group (n = 277) and a control group (n = 225). The study variables were job satisfaction, life quality, work capability, productivity costs, depression, anxiety and physical condition. Results: In company 1 results yielded significant statistical improvements in favor of the intervention group on job satisfaction variable, which involves wages and benefits (p= 0,016; η2=0,19), intrinsic fulfillment (p= 0,023; η2= 0,17) and satisfaction with production quality (p= 0,013; η2= 0,21). Likewise, in terms of life-quality, the variable presented notable physical pain reduction (p = 0.024; η2 = 0.18) in site 1, in site 2 showed a significant increase in general health (p = 0.034; η2 = 0.33) and in site 3 the physical component increased (p = 0.0094; η2 = 0.40). Work Capability (p = 0.045; η2 = 0.20) experienced a sharp increase after the implementation of the program, as well as trait anxiety was lower in site 3 after the program implementation (p = 0.039; n2 = 0.22). On the depression variable, a reduction of the psychomotor decline was observed in the experimental group (p = 0.008; η2 = 0.24), while in site 3, an alleviation of the total score on depression scales in the experimental group was observed (p = 0.045; η2 = 0.10). When it comes to the physical condition, in all companies men's weight was notably reduced (p = 0.001; η2 =0.23), whereas trunk flexibility (p = 0.001; η2 = 0.23), jumping (p = 0.001; η2 = 0.23), chest strength (p = 0.007; η2 = 0.19) and resistance (p = 0.002; η2 = 0.18) increased. In the case of women, results presented a reduction in weight (p = 0.004; n2 = 0.10), Body Mass Index (p = 0.004; η2 = 0.14) as well as heart rate recovery (p = 0.021; η2 = 0.06). Moreover, left-hand back flexibility rating (p = 0.003; n2 = 0.13), trunk flexibility (p = 0.000; η2 = 0.17) and chest and triceps strength (p = 0.000; η2 = 0.32) raised substantially. Conclusions: A 20-week long physical exercise program consisting of three 60-minute sessions per week supervised at work with not physically active employees affects their physical variables, work satisfaction, life quality, work capability, anxiety, depression and physical conditions significantly.