Breathing and relaxation exercises as part of a wellness routine for men in executive positions

Introduction: The health state of male executives who are exposed to high levels of stress has yet to be thoroughly studied. Breathing and relaxation exercises could serve as an appropriate wellness routine to help them manage stressful conditions in the workplace as well as to prevent health problems related to an unhealthy lifestyle. Aim: Our study comprises several phases and the objectives of each phase were chosen accordingly. In the first phase of our pilot study, we aimed to determine how effective a six-week exercise intervention program would be in promoting the mental and physical health of a selected group of men in executive positions. In the subsequent stages, we investigated how the programme served to educate these men and whether the participants continued an exercise routine over the next two years. Methodology: Our research was based on a case-by-case evaluation of 10 men aged 35-55 years who work in executive top management positions. The men were asked to take part in several research surveys (8 in total) in a period of two years. After an initial assessment which included: an anamnestic examination and medical history, an assessment of posture and an anthropometric indicators, questionnaires, the men's so-called weak points were defined. On the basis of these weaknesses, a simple routine consisting of breathing and relaxation exercises was developed. The participants were instructed to performe this routine once a day for 15 minutes. The assessment methods included: czech questionnaire about manifestation of burnout syndrome "Inventář Projevů Syndromu Vyhoření" (IPSV), the Q8+1 self-esteem questionnaire ("Self-awareness"), an aspectual examination of body posture and anthropometric measurements (chest elasticity, wais/hip ratio index), the visual examinaton and anthropometric indicators measurements (chest elasticity, waist-hip ratio). These assessment were repeated several time the baseline assessment, during therapeutic programme; after the intervention; eight weeks after the intervention; and the followed up assessment two years after initiation of the study. Results: This pilot study indicate that after of the therapeutic program, there was an improvement in all assessed outcomes. Our research revealed that it is possible to attain improvements in psychological wellbeing as well as in some anthropometric parameters (chest elasticity) through targeted exercise intervention. However, almost all outcomes that showed improvement after completion of the program reverted to their original values after two years. None of the men involved in the study persisted with regular exercise, even though all of them acknowledged the positive impact the program had on their well-being.