The MedXFit-study – CrossFit as a workplace health intervention: a one-year, prospective, controlled, longitudinal, intervention study
IntroductionWorkplace health interventions aim to motivate employees toward healthy behaviors to improve fitness and health in the long-term. We investigated whether CrossFit® is an effective training concept to achieve these goals in inactive employees with sedentary occupations.MethodsThe study fo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1304721/full |
| _version_ | 1797301686396518400 |
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| author | Tom Brandt Elisabeth Heinz Yannik Klaaßen Selina Limbara Marian Mörsdorf Timo Schinköthe Annette Schmidt |
| author_facet | Tom Brandt Elisabeth Heinz Yannik Klaaßen Selina Limbara Marian Mörsdorf Timo Schinköthe Annette Schmidt |
| author_sort | Tom Brandt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionWorkplace health interventions aim to motivate employees toward healthy behaviors to improve fitness and health in the long-term. We investigated whether CrossFit® is an effective training concept to achieve these goals in inactive employees with sedentary occupations.MethodsThe study followed a prospective, controlled intervention design. Employees were invited to participate in intervention group (IG) or control group (CG) on their own preferences. Inclusion criteria were a predominantly sedentary occupation and execution of less than two muscle and/or mobility enhancing training sessions per week at the time of enrolling. The IG did at least two times a week a CrossFit training of 1 h. Mobility, strength, well-being, and back-issues were measured at the beginning, after 6, and 12 months. Participants in the CG were free to choose any other activities offered at the same time (e.g., circuit training, meditation, full body stability training). Adherence, respectively, behavioral change and maintenance qualities were evaluated based on the COM-B system and presence of behavior maintenance motives.Results89 employees were enrolled into the trial, from where 21 dropped out due to external factors (24%). From the remaining participants, 10 out of 39 (26%) in the IG and 1 out of 29 (4%) in the CG stopped for intrinsic reasons, leading to a non-adherence to the intervention of 22 percentage points. Motivation for behavioral change and maintenance in the IG was primarily driven by enhanced physical and psychological capability. Development of physical capability was evident by significant improvements (p < 0.001) in the IG compared to the CG for mobility (d = 3.3), maximal isometric strength (min. d = 1.7, max. d = 2.5), as well as reduction in pain intensity (p = 0.003, r = 0.4) and frequency (p = 0.009, r = 0.35) after 12 months. Significant improvements between the 6-month and the 12-month measurement in mobility and 6 out of 8 strength measures within the IG indicated the effectiveness of CrossFit beyond the beginner phase.ConclusionCrossFit is a motivating training concept that led to long-term health and fitness improvements in inactive employees doing sedentary work and should be given greater consideration in workplace health promotion. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:25:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d9cb19ff14a4459fb7dd4504408c6d75 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:25:12Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-d9cb19ff14a4459fb7dd4504408c6d752024-02-21T04:59:57ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652024-02-011210.3389/fpubh.2024.13047211304721The MedXFit-study – CrossFit as a workplace health intervention: a one-year, prospective, controlled, longitudinal, intervention studyTom Brandt0Elisabeth Heinz1Yannik Klaaßen2Selina Limbara3Marian Mörsdorf4Timo Schinköthe5Annette Schmidt6Institute of Sports Science, University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Neubiberg, GermanyInstitute of Sports Science, University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Neubiberg, GermanyInstitute of Sports Science, University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Neubiberg, GermanyInstitute of Sports Science, University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Neubiberg, GermanyInstitute of Sports Science, University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Neubiberg, GermanyComprehensive Cancer Center Munich CCCLMU, Munich, GermanyInstitute of Sports Science, University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Neubiberg, GermanyIntroductionWorkplace health interventions aim to motivate employees toward healthy behaviors to improve fitness and health in the long-term. We investigated whether CrossFit® is an effective training concept to achieve these goals in inactive employees with sedentary occupations.MethodsThe study followed a prospective, controlled intervention design. Employees were invited to participate in intervention group (IG) or control group (CG) on their own preferences. Inclusion criteria were a predominantly sedentary occupation and execution of less than two muscle and/or mobility enhancing training sessions per week at the time of enrolling. The IG did at least two times a week a CrossFit training of 1 h. Mobility, strength, well-being, and back-issues were measured at the beginning, after 6, and 12 months. Participants in the CG were free to choose any other activities offered at the same time (e.g., circuit training, meditation, full body stability training). Adherence, respectively, behavioral change and maintenance qualities were evaluated based on the COM-B system and presence of behavior maintenance motives.Results89 employees were enrolled into the trial, from where 21 dropped out due to external factors (24%). From the remaining participants, 10 out of 39 (26%) in the IG and 1 out of 29 (4%) in the CG stopped for intrinsic reasons, leading to a non-adherence to the intervention of 22 percentage points. Motivation for behavioral change and maintenance in the IG was primarily driven by enhanced physical and psychological capability. Development of physical capability was evident by significant improvements (p < 0.001) in the IG compared to the CG for mobility (d = 3.3), maximal isometric strength (min. d = 1.7, max. d = 2.5), as well as reduction in pain intensity (p = 0.003, r = 0.4) and frequency (p = 0.009, r = 0.35) after 12 months. Significant improvements between the 6-month and the 12-month measurement in mobility and 6 out of 8 strength measures within the IG indicated the effectiveness of CrossFit beyond the beginner phase.ConclusionCrossFit is a motivating training concept that led to long-term health and fitness improvements in inactive employees doing sedentary work and should be given greater consideration in workplace health promotion.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1304721/fullbehavioral change and maintenancefunctional fitnessmobilitystrengthwell-beingback pain |
| spellingShingle | Tom Brandt Elisabeth Heinz Yannik Klaaßen Selina Limbara Marian Mörsdorf Timo Schinköthe Annette Schmidt The MedXFit-study – CrossFit as a workplace health intervention: a one-year, prospective, controlled, longitudinal, intervention study Frontiers in Public Health behavioral change and maintenance functional fitness mobility strength well-being back pain |
| title | The MedXFit-study – CrossFit as a workplace health intervention: a one-year, prospective, controlled, longitudinal, intervention study |
| title_full | The MedXFit-study – CrossFit as a workplace health intervention: a one-year, prospective, controlled, longitudinal, intervention study |
| title_fullStr | The MedXFit-study – CrossFit as a workplace health intervention: a one-year, prospective, controlled, longitudinal, intervention study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The MedXFit-study – CrossFit as a workplace health intervention: a one-year, prospective, controlled, longitudinal, intervention study |
| title_short | The MedXFit-study – CrossFit as a workplace health intervention: a one-year, prospective, controlled, longitudinal, intervention study |
| title_sort | medxfit study crossfit as a workplace health intervention a one year prospective controlled longitudinal intervention study |
| topic | behavioral change and maintenance functional fitness mobility strength well-being back pain |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1304721/full |
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