The impact of an integrated exercise and dietary counseling program on physiological biomarkers in sedentary bank employees: a randomized control trial

Sedentary behavior (SB) is a growing global health concern, particularly among bank employees, contributing to NCDs and increased mortality. While exercise and dietary modifications are recognized as effective interventions, their combined impact remains underexplored. This randomized controlled trial examined the impact of an integrated exercise and dietary counseling program on physiological biomarkers in sedentary bank employees. Forty participants (mean age: 47.55 ± 4.07 years) were randomly assigned to one of four groups: aerobic, resistance, or combined exercise (all with dietary counseling), or a control group (n = 10 each). Over the 12-week period, significant improvements (p < 0.001) were observed in pre- to post-intervention measurements of physiological markers, including Body Mass Index (BMI), Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP), and Resting Heart Rate (RHR), among the intervention groups. The statistical analysis in MANOVA indicated a significant inter-group differences for BMI (F(3,36) = 58.554, p = 0.001, η² = 0.830), SBP (F(3,36) = 32.155, p = 0.001, η² = 0.728), DBP (F(3,36) = 27.288, p = 0.001, η² = 0.695), and RHR (F(3,36) = 37.274, p = 0.001, η² = 0.756). Post-hoc analysis revealed that all intervention groups showed statistically significant improvements (p < 0.001) in all measured biomarkers compared to the control group. Moreover, aerobic and combined exercise interventions alongside dietary counseling groups demonstrated significant improvements over other groups.