Cardiorespiratory Fitness Changes Following an Unsupervised Exercise Prescription in an Executive Health Program

Objectives: Office workers in the U.S. have the lowest cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) among all occupations, a concern given the association between low CRF and increased risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. The prevalence of low CRF and the impact of an unsupervised exercise prescription on CRF among business professionals were determined.Methods: This retrospective analysis utilized data from 65 of 397 self-selected business professionals enrolled in the University of Minnesota’s M-Health Fairview Executive Wellness program. CRF, using VO₂max, was determined in mL/kg/min using the Bruce protocol. Participants were reassessed approximately two years later, but adherence to the exercise program was not. CRF was categorized by age- and sex-adjusted VO₂max percentiles: low (<25th), fair to good (25th–74th), and superior to excellent (≥75th). VO₂max changes were classified as no change (<10%), increase, or decrease (>10%).Results: The participants' mean (SD) age was 50.7 (9.7) years, primarily comprising white males, and most (78%) were never smokers. Nearly two-thirds were overweight and had dyslipidemia; 15% had hypertension, and 27% had prediabetes. Over a mean (SD) 2.13 (1.01) years of follow-up, 69.2% had no change to their CRF, 12.3% decreased, and 18.5% increased compared to the first clinic visit. Among those with a low baseline CRF (n=27), 55.6% remained unchanged, 3.7% declined, and in 40.7% of cases, their CRF improved. In the fair to good CRF group (n = 48), 15% declined, 80% remained the same, and 5% improved. Of those with superior CRF, 22.2% experienced a decline in their CRF level, while 77.8% maintained their level. There were no correlations between the change in VO₂max and the change in anthropometric or metabolic variables.Conclusions: Unsupervised exercise prescriptions did not significantly improve CRF for most participants. However, baseline fitness level influenced outcomes, with those starting at lower CRF levels more likely to improve.