Impact of A 6-Week Aerobic Exercise Regimen on Cardiovascular Health and Perceived Stress among Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Health Institution, South Western Nigeria

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of global mortality, with healthcare workers also at risk due to occupational stress and physical inactivity. Aerobic exercise is recognized for its cardiovascular and psychological benefits, yet limited studies have evaluated structured workplace interventions among Nigerian healthcare workers. Aims: This study aims to evaluate the impact of a six-week aerobic exercise regimen on cardiovascular health and perceived stress among healthcare workers at Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo state, Nigeria. Study Design: A pretest-posttest experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: The study took place at the Physiotherapy Department of the Federal Medical Center, Owo between April 2025 and June, 2025. Material and Methods: This study involved 38 healthcare workers selected by convenience sampling. Participants engaged in supervised aerobic exercise sessions three times weekly for six weeks, each lasting 60 minutes. Baseline and post-intervention data were collected using a cardiovascular health proforma (systolic/diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, resting heart rate, and six-minute walk distance) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 27 and R (v4.5.1). Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used depending on normality, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Thirty-eight participants (mean age 25.7 ± 2.3 years; 52.6% male) completed the study. Significant reductions were observed in systolic blood pressure (p < 0.05), diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.001), mean arterial pressure (p < 0.05), resting heart rate (p < 0.05), and perceived stress (p < 0.05) and mean six-minute walk distance increased significantly (+87.2 m; p < 0.05. Categorical analysis showed an increase in low-stress prevalence from 50% to 86.8%. Conclusion: A structured six-week aerobic exercise regimen significantly improved cardiovascular health and reduced stress among healthcare workers. Workplace-based aerobic exercise programs are recommended to enhance both health and productivity. They not only safeguard staff health but also indirectly improve patient care outcomes by fostering more resilient workforce.