Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 29, 2025
05:10
Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
Published on: May 30, 2025
826
Improving Physical Activity and Body Composition in a Medical Workplace Using Brief Goal Setting
Sanjeev Nanda1, Ryan T Hurt1, Ivana T Croghan2
1Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Innovations, Quality & Outcomes
|January 30, 2020
Summary
Wearable activity trackers and brief counseling significantly increased employee physical activity and reduced body fat. This workplace intervention improved steps, distance, and fat loss, demonstrating a successful strategy for health improvement.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Behavioral Science
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- Workplace wellness programs are crucial for employee health.
- Wearable technology offers potential for monitoring and motivating physical activity.
- Limited research exists on the combined effect of wearable trackers and brief counseling in a corporate setting.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the efficacy of wearable activity trackers and brief feedback in motivating employees to increase physical activity.
- To evaluate the impact of a workplace intervention on daily step count, physical activity levels, and body composition.
Main Methods:
- 135 adult participants were randomized into three groups: control, intervention (counseling based on step count), and no step-tracking device.
- The study duration was from June 2016 to February 2018, with participants tracked for 12 weeks.
- Intervention group received counseling informed by their wearable activity tracker data.
Main Results:
- The intervention group showed significantly higher daily steps (644.8 more steps, P<.01) and an 11.1% increase from baseline (P<.01).
- Participants in the intervention group experienced greater reductions in body fat mass (-0.90 kg), body fat percentage (-0.96%), and visceral fat level (-0.60).
- The intervention group reported higher satisfaction with randomization (89% vs 77%, P=.01) and greater confidence in their activity tracker's effectiveness.
Conclusions:
- Brief counseling combined with step-counting devices effectively enhances workplace physical activity.
- This intervention leads to increased daily steps and significant reductions in body fat, including visceral fat.
- Wearable technology and targeted feedback represent a viable strategy for improving employee health outcomes in the workplace.
Keywords:
BIA, bioelectrical impedance analysisPSS, Perceived Stress ScaleSF-36, 36-Item Short Form Health SurveySMF, segmental multifrequencyVFA, visceral fat areaMore Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:30Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques VI
192
Adopting a healthier lifestyle often requires overcoming significant challenges, but leveraging psychological, social, and cultural resources can facilitate meaningful change. Effective self-change hinges on understanding and applying key tools such as motivation and goal setting, which help sustain efforts toward long-term health benefits.
Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...
Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...
192
01:27Exercise and Muscle Performance
2.2K
Exercise induces a range of adaptations in muscle tissue, depending on the type and duration of activity. Such physical training can be broadly categorized into two types: endurance exercises and resistance exercises.
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
2.2K
01:25Role of Communication in the Nursing Process II: Planning and Implementation
2.5K
Several factors are considered while creating a patient's care plan. Motivation is a factor in improving communication, and patients often require encouragement to try different approaches involving significant change. It is essential to involve the patient and family in decisions about the plan of care to determine whether the suggested methods are acceptable. Consider meeting critical comfort and safety needs before introducing new communication methods and techniques. Allow adequate time...
2.5K