Exercise-snacks at Work: Impact on Cardiometabolic Parameters

Exercise-snacks: an Effective Strategy to Break Sitting Time and Improve Cardiometbaolic Health in Sedentary Overweight Office Workers

The main objective is to measure the effects of intense brief exercise program in the workplace of administrative staff on the cardio-metabolic health

Backgrounds: Very short (< 1 minute) and intense exercises, entitled "exercise-snacks", have been reported to be effective 1) in improving physical fitness over 6 weeks and 2) in improving vascular function and lowering blood glucose levels over one day. These studies were all carried out in the laboratory. The question therefore arises as to whether these acute vascular and metabolic benefits, as well as those on physical fitness, are sustainable over time following a chronic "exercise-snacks" program applicable in the professional environment to sedentary, overweight people. Aims of this project is therefore to measure the effects of an "exercise-snacks" type physical activity program in the workplace of administrative staff on the cardio-metabolic health and sedentary behaviour of staff.

Subjects in the exercise-snacks group will perform 4 "exercise-snacks" sessions per working day for 4 weeks. These sessions will consist of 80 one-to-one walks to be completed as quickly as possible. They will also receive information about their attitudes to physical activity.

one week before the beginning of the program and the first week of the program and the 2 lastest weeks of the program

Theory of planned behavior questionnaire, score range from 20 to 80 with higher scores mean a better outcome.

Inclusion Criteria: administrative staff, age between 30 and 60, body mass index ≥25kg/m², sedentary time ≥7h/day, minimum 3 working days on site, no known cardiovascular or metabolic pathology, social security affiliation or benefit, ability and willingness to give free, written and informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: pregnant or breast-feeding women, anti-hypertensive treatment, beta-blockers and anti-diabetics, known contraindications to physical activity (articular, cardiac or other), exercise-induced asthma, lack of motivation of subjects posing problems of compliance and adherence to the exercise program, participation in a study in the preceding 3 months, ongoing participation in a clinical trial.