Nepean Hospital trials paid exercise breaks for staff

Nepean Hospital has begun a 12-month trial giving healthcare workers paid exercise breaks during work hours, involving about 100 staff.

The research is led by Dr Faraz Pathan, Senior Research Fellow at the Heart Research Institute and Head of Heart Research at Nepean Hospital. Participants will use a revamped hospital break room for virtual reality-based exercise sessions, and also take part in stair workouts and walks around the hospital.

The project will test whether a 30-minute exercise break during the working day affects heart health, fitness and mental wellbeing among hospital staff. It focuses on healthcare workers, whom Pathan said face elevated risks linked to irregular shifts and stressful working conditions.

According to data cited by the research team, physical inactivity costs the Australian economy more than AUD $2 billion a year. Australian workers also spend about five hours a day sitting at work, a pattern associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Under the trial, some staff will take part in what researchers describe as "exer-gaming", using virtual reality glasses and a video game console to simulate activities including tennis, bowling and boxing. The study will run across hospital spaces as well as in the dedicated break room.

Pathan said the intervention is intended to test whether paid exercise time can address what he described as a lack of time for physical activity during the working week.

"It sounds simple, but really it's a radical idea. This trial will give staff a 30-minute exercise break during their work day and then measure how these breaks affect their heart health, overall fitness and mental wellbeing," Pathan said.

He said the research is designed to test whether workplace structures can be changed to make exercise easier to fit into daily routines.

"This is our chance to change the policy and cultural landscape of the Australian workplace by addressing the 'time poverty' that prevents staff from exercising," he said.

Pathan also pointed to the health pressures facing hospital workers.

"We know healthcare workers are at particularly high risk of heart disease because they work irregular shifts that disrupt the circadian rhythm, and because of the stressful and intensive nature of their work," he said.

The trial comes as employers and health researchers pay closer attention to sedentary work patterns and their long-term effects. The study will explore whether exercise built into the working day can improve health outcomes without requiring staff to find additional time outside work.

Pathan linked the issue to broader constraints on workers' time and routines.

"About 60% of adults want to exercise, but their ability to make that happen depends on their life circumstances, their line of work, their health and family responsibilities.

"What ends up happening is your appetite is dysregulated, you put on weight, you get poor sleep, and all that increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

"Through this trial, I'm hoping to prove that giving healthcare workers the ability to take a 30-minute exercise break will benefit them both physically and mentally, and also improve productivity at work," he said.

The project received AUD $450,000 through the NSW Health Cardiovascular Research Capacity Program. The funding scheme supports research intended for practical use in patient care and health services.

Pathan said space is one of the main practical barriers for a large hospital workforce and argued that virtual exercise could reduce disruption.

"The biggest barriers to exercise are time and space. A hospital the size of Nepean, with more than 4,000 staff, can't have everyone walking around the perimeter. It would look like Coachella, not a hospital. Can you imagine the bedlam it would cause with people moving everywhere? Exer-gaming will solve that problem," he said.

He added that the model could be used more widely if the trial shows positive results.

"If it's successful here at Nepean, there is no reason the intervention cannot be applied to the workforce at large," he said.

Prof Andrew Coats AO, Scientific Director and Chief Executive Officer at the Heart Research Institute, said the grant reflected the standing of the organisation's cardiovascular research.

"I'm delighted to see the Institute continuing to attract significant funding for our world-leading research," Coats said.

"These grants from NSW Health are a testament to the high calibre of the work being conducted at HRI. We remain strongly committed to research that will have a direct impact on cardiovascular health and the wellbeing of people with heart conditions," he said.