With 15 minutes of exercise per day at work, you can do a lot of good for your health. At least that’s what a study Australian Healthcare Journal study published last June. It calls this exercise the “15 Minute Challenge”. Its principle is simple: using a mobile application to record each person’s performance, employees exercise in a group for a quarter of an hour every day.
The study, which involved more than 11,000 participants across New Zealand, Australia and England, shows the benefits of this team sport. At the start of the programme, only 57 per cent of participants met or exceeded international physical activity guidelines, which recommend 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise per week. By the end of the six weeks, 95 per cent of participants were meeting or exceeding these recommendations.
The benefits of sport
At a time when well-being at work is becoming a major concern for workers, the implementation of this “challenge” makes perfect sense. The program aims to democratize physical exercise by making it more accessible and enjoyable through a group effect.
“Regular physical activity has significant benefits for physical and mental health. It plays a key role in the management of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes or cancer. It also reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety,” explains Dr. Ben Singh, co-author of the study. The document reports the many improvements that this exercise has caused. They report being less tired, in better physical shape and in a better mood. All that’s left is to motivate your manager to start a squat session tomorrow.
