Workplace-embedded exercise-snack to interrupt sedentary work: A 12-week randomized trial on blood pressure and perceived stress with implementation implications

Sedentary behavior is common among office workers and is linked to cardiometabolic risk and stress. "Exercise-Snack", i.e., multiple brief bouts of moderate-to-vigorous activity across the day, may be a practical countermeasure, but evidence in real-world office settings is limited. We conducted a 12-week randomized controlled trial assigning office workers to an Exercise-Snack intervention (n = 25) or control (n = 27). The intervention comprised 3-6 daily bouts of stair climbing, brisk walking, squats, push-ups, or stretching (1-3 min each; ∼10 min/day total). Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), body mass index (BMI), and perceived stress (PSS-10) were measured at baseline, week 6, and week 12. Group × time effects were tested using two-way repeated-measures ANOVA, with paired t-tests examining within-group changes. At week 6, significant group × time interactions emerged for SBP and PSS-10 but not for DBP or BMI. By week 12, SBP, DBP, and PSS-10 in the intervention group decreased from baseline by 4.6 mmHg (95% CI: 2.36-6.84), 2.4 mmHg (95% CI: 0.53-3.27), and 2.5 points (95% CI: 1.87-4.67), respectively, while BMI did not change significantly. Accumulating ∼10 min/day of Exercise-Snack over 12 weeks may meaningfully reduce blood pressure and perceived stress in office workers.