Citation

Reich B, Niederseer D, Loidl M, Fernandez La Puente de Batre MD, Rossi VA, Zagel B, Caselli S, Schmied C, Niebauer J. Scand. J. Med. Sci. Sports 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation and Research Institute of Molecular Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/sms.13697

PMID

32335963

Abstract

A sedentary lifestyle is a major modifiable risk factor for many chronic diseases. Lifestyle modification in order to increase exercise capacity is key in the prevention and rehabilitation of chronic diseases. This could be achieved by active commute. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of daily active commuting on physical activity (PA) and exercise capacity. 73 healthy hospital employees (age: 46±9 years, 38% males), with a predominantly passive way of commuting, were randomly assigned into two parallel groups, a control group (CG, N=22) or an intervention group (IG, N=51) which was further split into public transportation/active commuting (IG-PT, N=25) and cycling (IG-C, N=26). Both intervention groups were asked to reach 150min/week of moderate-vigorous intensity exercise during their commute for one year. CG maintained a passive commuting mode. All participants underwent assessment of anthropometry, risk factor stratification and exercise capacity by a medical doctor at the Institute of preventive and rehabilitative Sports Medicine. Weekly physical activity, using the international physical activity questionnaire and commuting behavior using an online diary were used to assess physical activity. At the end of the study the change in exercise capacity did significantly differ between IG and CG p=0.003, ES=0.82. Actively covered distances through commuting significantly differed between groups (walking p=0.026; cycling p<0.001). Therefore, active commuting improves exercise capacity and can be recommended to the working population to increase exercise capacity.

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Language: en

Keywords

active commuting; exercise training; lifestyle modification