Effects of an 18-Week Workplace Gymnastics Program on Selected Components of Health-related Physical Fitness in Administrative Workers: A Non-Randomized Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of an 18-week workplace gymnastics (WG) program on selected components of health-related physical fitness in administrative workers. METHODS: This non-randomized study (n=66) compared low (LA, <35 sessions) and good adherence (GA, ≥35 sessions) groups across an 18-week program (15-min sessions, 3x/week), assessing handgrip strength (HGS), flexibility, and lower-limb endurance. RESULTS: The GA group showed greater reductions in body fat (-1.7% vs -1.0%) and gains in muscle mass (+1.0% vs +0.8%), although not significant, and significantly higher post-intervention flexibility (30.9 vs 22.2 cm; p=0.004) and lower-limb endurance (33.0 vs 26.1 reps; p=0.0002). No significant HGS changes occurred. Attendance correlated positively with post-intervention outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Participation in WG was associated with selected components of health-related physical fitness; higher attendance was associated with better outcomes, without implying causality or a dose-response relationship.