What types of brief vigorous intermittent physical activity could workplace interventions try as ‘exercise snacks’? A scoping review

Purpose: To identify types of vigorous intermittent physical activity that are feasible to implement as ‘exercise snacks’ in workplace interventions.
Methods: We conducted a scoping review to examine the peer reviewed literature on interventions involving brief bouts of vigorous intermittent physical activity. We searched five databases for articles reporting on experimental and quasi-experimental studies that involved brief bouts of vigorous-intensity physical activity (e.g., high intensity interval training, HIIT) with physical and/or mental health outcomes in adults published up to March 2022. We extracted and synthesised data on characteristics of the intervention (types of activities, duration, frequency), participants, settings and outcomes.

Results: We identified 82 relevant articles (54% RCT, 24% cross-over, 12% randomised pre-post). Half the studies were conducted in a laboratory or clinical setting, 11% were school-based, 7% in mixed settings, 25% did not report the setting, and none were in workplaces. Studies involved participants who self-identified as sedentary/inactive (40%), were overweight/obese (29%), or had chronic conditions (30%). The most common type of activity performed in brief vigorous bouts was cycling, followed by running or sprinting, and walking. Nearly one fifth of studies involved interventions with mixed vigorous activities such as running plus football, game-based activities, and circuit training (e.g., squats, push ups, jumping jacks). Only 2 studies gave participants free choice of the activities they would like to do at high intensity in intermittent intervals. Intervention duration, composition and frequency varied from one session on a cycle ergometer (4X4-min exercise + 4X3-min rest) to 20-minute circuit training with drills and games twice per week for three months, to 16-minute HIIT sessions of self-selected activities twice per week for five years. Most studies measured outcomes related to cardiometabolic health, while few examined effects on mental health.

Conclusion: Translating evidence of the benefits of vigorous intermittent physical activity into workplaces requires more attention. Most studies in this scoping review were based in laboratory or clinical settings. The feasibility and acceptability of engaging in vigorous intermittent bursts of cycling and sprinting and other activities in workplace settings require further investigation with end-users in formative research before testing in larger trials.