Significant health benefits from workplace step count challenges, study finds

Workplace activity participation challenges can significantly and immediately improve physical fitness and wellbeing, according to new research co-led by the University of Stirling.

The study, conducted by Professor Gozde Ozakinci in collaboration with the University of St Andrews and voluntary sector organisation Paths for All, found small changes to workplace routines can have meaningful health benefits.

Following the Step Count Challenge – run nationally twice a year by Scottish charity Paths for All to increase walking in Scotland – researchers assessed whether participation was associated with health benefits, either physical or mental. Step Count Challenge invites teams of five to complete as many steps as possible during the challenge, which runs for four weeks in autumn or eight weeks in spring.

Professor Ozakinci and the team collected longitudinal fitness and wellbeing data across both spring and autumn challenges from several hundred of the 4,000 participants.

Reduces risk of diseases

The results showed that participants had increased physical fitness and mental wellbeing at the end of the challenge in both the eight-week spring challenge and four-week autumn challenge. The academics went on to show that participants had increased physical fitness relative to a control group who did not take part.

It’s well known that regular physical activity reduces the risk of non-communicable diseases such as cancers and cardiovascular disease. As well as these clear physical health benefits, engagement in physical activity also improves mental wellbeing, with studies finding alleviation of depression, anxiety and stress.

However, workers in the UK spend an average of 84% of their time sitting down. The NHS costs directly attributed to sedentary behaviour is around £900 million each year, an increase of £200 million in the past decade. 

This research demonstrates that programmes designed to increase physical activity within the workplace are a key way of addressing these issues. Low-cost, flexible and accessible programmes aimed at increasing activity in the workplace can improve both physical and mental wellbeing.

Increases physical fitness

Professor Gozde Ozakinci from the Faculty of Natural Sciences said: “It is so encouraging to see that even a short-term workplace programme that we take part in together with our colleagues can be related to increased fitness and wellbeing. The premise of this approach is that workplaces do not have to be places of sedentary behaviour. As a health psychologist, I hope that our findings encourage everyone to take strolls, even if it’s a short one.”

Professor James Ainge from the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of St Andrews said: “It is particularly noteworthy that these improvements were seen even in the four-week challenge. This suggests that relatively small changes to our workplace routines can have significant health benefits. Hopefully by promoting these findings we can encourage people to move more during their working day and enjoy the associated health benefits.” 

The paper Participation in a Nationwide Workplace Step Count Competition Is Associated With Improved Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being: A Longitudinal, Repeated-Measures Analysis was published in The Journal of Physical Activity and Health, and funded by the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science collaborator studentship with Paths for All.

Carl Greenwood from the charity Paths for All said: “Our Step Count Challenge aims to motivate people to walk more during their working day. Fitting some extra steps into our working day is a great way to improve physical and mental wellbeing, connect with colleagues and hopefully provide some fun along the way.

“The findings from this research underline the positive impact that workplaces can have in promoting walking and staff wellbeing initiatives. We are delighted to see the Step Count Challenge is enabling people to increase their fitness and wellbeing through walking and supporting Scotland’s journey towards a greener, healthier future.”