Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 17, 2026
Conducting Maximal and Submaximal Endurance Exercise Testing to Measure Physiological and Biological Responses to Acute Exercise in Humans
Published on: October 17, 2018
Economic Evaluations of Physical Exercise at Work: A Scoping Review
Juan Andres Pozzi1, Louise Fleng Sandal2, Brent D Leininger3
1Centre for Muscle and Joint Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. andrespozzi93@gmail.com.
Purpose:
Despite the well-established positive benefits of physical activity and the recognised consequences of physical inactivity, evidence on its cost and cost-effectiveness remains inconclusive. This scoping review aims to descriptively summarise studies on economic evaluations of workplace physical exercise interventions from both employers and societal perspectives.
Methods:
This review was conducted following the JBI and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. We included studies assessing economic evaluations of workplace physical exercise programmes from PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Medline, EBSCO, EconLit, The Tufts Medical Center Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Registry, and the NHS Economic Evaluation Database from January 2000 to March 2025. Screening, selection, and data extraction were independently performed by two researchers. Extracted data included study characteristics, population, intervention type, economic evaluation approach, outcomes, and main findings. Results are presented using summary tables along with narrative synthesis.
Results:
The search resulted in 5,007 unique records, of which we included 13 studies published between 2012 and 2025. Of these, most (n = 9) were randomised controlled trials. Occupational settings included sedentary and physically demanding jobs. Interventions included multicomponent programmes (n = 6) combining physical exercise with education, ergonomics, or nutritional guidance, and single-component programmes (n = 7) centred on strength training, stretching, and aerobic activities. Evaluations were conducted from multiple perspectives, reporting various health-related, work-related, and economic outcomes, including productivity, absenteeism, sickness absence, and compensation claims.
Conclusion:
This review highlights substantial heterogeneity in the economic evaluations of workplace physical exercise interventions, regarding populations, interventions, methods, outcomes, and results. More high-quality research following standardised methodological guidance is needed to support future implementation and decision-making.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be met...
01:20Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
01:27Exercise and Muscle Performance
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...