Standing up for productivity: A pilot study of short workplace activity breaks and self-perceived work ability among...

BackgroundOffice-based work has increased occupational sitting time, a behavior associated with lower work ability and poorer well-being. Brief active breaks may help mitigate these effects, but evidence from real-world workplace interventions remains limited.ObjectiveTo evaluate the feasibility and effects of a multicomponent Occupational Active Breaks (OAB) program on self-perceived work ability (WA) among administrative workers.MethodsA five-week, single-arm pre-post pilot study included 70 administrative employees aged 18-59 years. The intervention combined an awareness lecture, individualized mentoring, and an app delivering reminders, guided videos, and gamified feedback. Participants were encouraged to perform four 3-5-min active breaks per workday. WA, OAB frequency, and weekly physical activity were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Paired changes were analyzed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and associations with Pearson's χ² test.ResultsSelf-reported daily adherence rose from 0% to 94%. Mean WA increased from 7.04 ± 1.16 to 8.10 ± 1.01. Good/high WA ratings increased from 73% to 94% and poor/moderate ratings declined from 27% to 6% (p ≤ 0.001). App records showed approximately 2.2 breaks/day per participant, below the four-break target. Weekly physical activity frequency increased from 2.24 to 3.54 sessions/week (p ≤ 0.001). Effect sizes were large for WA (r = 0.69) and moderate-to-large for weekly physical activity frequency (r = 0.53).ConclusionsA short, app-supported OAB program was feasible and was associated with improved self-perceived work ability among sedentary administrative workers.