The Effects of Relaxation Exercises and Park Walks During Workplace Lunch Breaks on Physiological Recovery
Considering the increasing demands of various occupational interventions, this study aimed at examining the impact of relaxation exercises and park walks during lunch breaks on physiological recovery (i.e., on changes in cortisol excretion and blood pressure). In a four-week randomized controlled tr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Stockholm University Press
2017-05-01
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| Series: | Scandinavian Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://account.sjwop.com/index.php/su-j-sjwop/article/view/19 |
| _version_ | 1797845409582809088 |
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| author | Pedro Torrente Ulla Kinnunen Marjaana Sianoja Jessica de Bloom Kalevi Korpela Martti T. Tuomisto Petra Lindfors |
| author_facet | Pedro Torrente Ulla Kinnunen Marjaana Sianoja Jessica de Bloom Kalevi Korpela Martti T. Tuomisto Petra Lindfors |
| author_sort | Pedro Torrente |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Considering the increasing demands of various occupational interventions, this study aimed at examining the impact of relaxation exercises and park walks during lunch breaks on physiological recovery (i.e., on changes in cortisol excretion and blood pressure). In a four-week randomized controlled trial, 153 knowledge workers in seven companies were allocated to one of three groups: relaxation, park walk, or control. Both intervention groups were required to undertake either a lunchtime relaxation exercise or a park walk on each working day for two consecutive weeks. Data were collected at baseline, during the two-week intervention period, and in the week after the intervention. Mixed-design analyses of variance (ANOVA) were conducted. No beneficial intervention effects were observed in cortisol awakening response (CARi) or cortisol decline during the day (CDD). Blood pressure decreased significantly in the afternoon at work in each group. This decrease was more pronounced in the park walk group (d = .51–.58) than in the relaxation (d = .18–.28) and control (d = .31–.41) groups. Our study showed that changing knowledge workers’ lunch routines for a short period of time does not affect cortisol excretion, but may lower blood pressure at the end of the working day. This lowered blood pressure also seemed to occur among the controls, suggesting that measuring and keeping track of blood pressure may serve as an intervention. However, longer interventions are needed to achieve stronger and long lasting physiological recovery effects. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:38:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7ab3c388c6d94531ac2d961bedd23f77 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2002-2867 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:38:35Z |
| publishDate | 2017-05-01 |
| publisher | Stockholm University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scandinavian Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-7ab3c388c6d94531ac2d961bedd23f772023-04-17T07:42:13ZengStockholm University PressScandinavian Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology2002-28672017-05-01212210.16993/sjwop.1939The Effects of Relaxation Exercises and Park Walks During Workplace Lunch Breaks on Physiological RecoveryPedro Torrente0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4674-5289Ulla Kinnunen1Marjaana Sianoja2Jessica de Bloom3Kalevi Korpela4Martti T. Tuomisto5Petra Lindfors6University of TampereUniversity of TampereUniversity of TampereUniversity of TampereUniversity of TampereUniversity of TampereUniversity of StockholmConsidering the increasing demands of various occupational interventions, this study aimed at examining the impact of relaxation exercises and park walks during lunch breaks on physiological recovery (i.e., on changes in cortisol excretion and blood pressure). In a four-week randomized controlled trial, 153 knowledge workers in seven companies were allocated to one of three groups: relaxation, park walk, or control. Both intervention groups were required to undertake either a lunchtime relaxation exercise or a park walk on each working day for two consecutive weeks. Data were collected at baseline, during the two-week intervention period, and in the week after the intervention. Mixed-design analyses of variance (ANOVA) were conducted. No beneficial intervention effects were observed in cortisol awakening response (CARi) or cortisol decline during the day (CDD). Blood pressure decreased significantly in the afternoon at work in each group. This decrease was more pronounced in the park walk group (d = .51–.58) than in the relaxation (d = .18–.28) and control (d = .31–.41) groups. Our study showed that changing knowledge workers’ lunch routines for a short period of time does not affect cortisol excretion, but may lower blood pressure at the end of the working day. This lowered blood pressure also seemed to occur among the controls, suggesting that measuring and keeping track of blood pressure may serve as an intervention. However, longer interventions are needed to achieve stronger and long lasting physiological recovery effects.https://account.sjwop.com/index.php/su-j-sjwop/article/view/19blood pressurecortisollunch breakpark walkrecoveryrelaxation exercise |
| spellingShingle | Pedro Torrente Ulla Kinnunen Marjaana Sianoja Jessica de Bloom Kalevi Korpela Martti T. Tuomisto Petra Lindfors The Effects of Relaxation Exercises and Park Walks During Workplace Lunch Breaks on Physiological Recovery Scandinavian Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology blood pressure cortisol lunch break park walk recovery relaxation exercise |
| title | The Effects of Relaxation Exercises and Park Walks During Workplace Lunch Breaks on Physiological Recovery |
| title_full | The Effects of Relaxation Exercises and Park Walks During Workplace Lunch Breaks on Physiological Recovery |
| title_fullStr | The Effects of Relaxation Exercises and Park Walks During Workplace Lunch Breaks on Physiological Recovery |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effects of Relaxation Exercises and Park Walks During Workplace Lunch Breaks on Physiological Recovery |
| title_short | The Effects of Relaxation Exercises and Park Walks During Workplace Lunch Breaks on Physiological Recovery |
| title_sort | effects of relaxation exercises and park walks during workplace lunch breaks on physiological recovery |
| topic | blood pressure cortisol lunch break park walk recovery relaxation exercise |
| url | https://account.sjwop.com/index.php/su-j-sjwop/article/view/19 |
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