Changes in health-related fitness after a structured 90- day workplace physical activity programme among university staff: A single-group pre-post intervention study

Abstract

Aim: Physical inactivity is an important modifiable risk factor for non-communicable disease, and the workplace offers a practical setting for reaching adults who spend much of the day sitting. This single-group pre-post study examined changes in health-related fitness among Makerere University staff enrolled in a structured 90-day physical activity programme. Method: One hundred staff members were recruited by convenience sampling, and 68 completed assessments at baseline, day 30, and day 90. The programme offered 30 supervised, progressively structured sessions combining aerobic, resistance, core-endurance, and flexibility activities; remote delivery and mobile-data support were introduced during COVID-19 restrictions. Complete-case repeated-measures analysis of variance was used, with a Bonferroni-adjusted significance threshold of p < .0056. Results: From baseline to day 90, mean waist circumference decreased by 5.5 cm, body weight by 3.9 kg, body mass index by 1.4 kg/m², and resting heart rate by 8.3 beats/min. Push-up performance increased by 13.3 repetitions, curl-up performance by 19.4 repetitions, and plank-hold duration by 32.3 seconds. All outcomes changed significantly over time (p < .001). Twenty-eight of 30 sessions were delivered fully as planned, but completers attended a mean of only 10.8 sessions. Delivery was feasible and satisfaction was high among survey respondents, although low attendance, 32% attrition, COVID-19 disruption, and the absence of a control group limit causal interpretation. Conclusion: Universities may benefit from pairing structured exercise with protected participation time and flexible delivery. Controlled studies with longer follow-up are needed.