It takes just 15 minutes to transform your health, research suggests

Corporate Cup, lunchtime yoga, or even walk and talks, organizations are coming up with all sorts of wellness initiatives to encourage people to be more active in the workplace. But before you duck and hide, recent research shows that it only takes 15 minutes and a touch of gamification to put you on the road to success.

Researchers from the University of South Australia assessed the results of 11,575 participants from 73 Australian, New Zealand and UK companies and found that a gamified workplace wellbeing program:the 15 minute challenge—leads to significant increases in physical activity levels, with 95% of participants (36%) or more (59%) meeting the standard guidelines for physical activity.

Additionally, participants’ average daily physical activity increased by 12 minutes per day (85 minutes per week) over the six-week challenge, with the median daily exercise duration being 45 minutes.

Participants also reported improvements in fitness (14%), energy (12%), general health (8%), sleep quality (8%), and mood (7.1%).

The WHO recommends that adults (18-64 years) should do at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, or at least 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity over a week. In Australia 37% of adults and 83% of teenagers do not meet recommended values of physical activity.

According to lead researcher Dr Ben Singh from UniSA, the 15 Minute Challenge is an effective mechanism to improve employee health and wellbeing in the workplace.

“Regular physical activity provides significant benefits to physical and mental health. It plays an important role in preventing and treating chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer, and also reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety,” says Dr. Singh.

Yet about half of Australian adults do not get the recommended amount of physical activity.

“Since most adults spend a large portion of their waking hours working, workplaces are ideal environments to promote physical activity.

“In this study, we showed that just 15 minutes of physical activity a day can make a big difference when it comes to people’s health and well-being. And even though the program only required 15 minutes of activity, most people tended to do more.

“The 15-minute goal essentially serves as an accessible starting point, especially for people who are particularly sedentary. So it lowers the barriers to getting started and helps build the habit of regular exercise.

“Ultimately, the 15 minutes is a catalyst for increased physical activity, helping many participants exceed the minimum goal and get closer to or exceed national recommendations.”

Co-researcher Carol Maher, a professor at UniSA, says the program’s success is partly due to the gamification and social aspects of the app.

“Encouraging and holding your teammates accountable through friendly competition is at the heart of the 15 Minute Challenge app. It’s a key part of what motivates participants to stay committed and connected,” said Prof. Maher.

“The program encourages team collaboration, to keep track of rankings and to display cumulative exercises. Achievements are clearly recorded and successes are celebrated. So it is definitely a tool that encourages people to work together and have fun.

“What we need to remember, however, is that tackling inactivity is everyone’s responsibility. So if an employer can initiate an effective, enjoyable and cost-effective option to support their employees, it’s a win-win.

“Physically active employees are happier and healthier; they are more productive, more satisfied, less stressed and less likely to get sick. Sustainable, scalable initiatives, such as the 15 Minute Challenge, that can help employees change their health and well-being for the better should be on every employer’s agenda.”

The research was published in the journal Health care.