Study: Evaluation of the “15 Minute Challenge”: A Workplace Health and Wellbeing Program. Image Credit: Pixel-Shot / Shutterstock.com

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2020 guidelines recommend 150–300 min of moderate-intensity or 75–150 min of vigorous-intensity activity per week, which is associated with a 20–30% reduction in all-cause mortality risk.

In a recent study published in the journal Healthcare, researchers at the University of South Australia investigated the effectiveness of the 15-Minute Challenge, a mobile health (mHealth) initiative that supports workplace wellness by promoting physical activity and improving health outcomes among employees across various workplaces.

Encouraging physical activity at work

The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights that regular physical activity reduces the risk of chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Physical activity is essential for preventing chronic diseases and improving overall health; however, many adults do not meet recommended levels, which significantly contributes to global health issues.

Since many adults spend most of their time at work, workplace environments often encourage sedentary behaviors, which increase the risk of various health problems. Thus, workplace wellness programs can be a valuable strategy that promotes physical activity among employees.

The 15-Minute Challenge is an initiative that uses mHealth technology and behavioral economics to encourage employees to engage in short, daily physical activity sessions. By focusing on a manageable 15-minute daily commitment, this program aims to make exercise more accessible and sustainable while also incorporating elements of gamification, such as team competitions and social sharing, to motivate participation.

About the study

The current study evaluated the effectiveness of the 15-Minute Challenge in improving employees’ health outcomes and increasing physical activity. To this end, the researchers used a retrospective cohort design to evaluate the six-week wellness program across various workplaces in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

The program facilitated daily 15-minute sessions for physical activity, with participants recording their activities using a mobile app. To motivate participation, the app featured gamification elements like team competitions, social sharing, and personal milestones.

Study participants reported their health and well-being, including energy, fitness, mood, sleep quality, and overall health, at the beginning and end of the program using a 10-point scale. Usage data, including frequency of app interaction and engagement with specific features, were also collected.

The program’s effectiveness was analyzed using statistical models comparing baseline and end-of-program health outcomes. Program analytics measured participation and retention rates, while post-program surveys gathered user feedback on satisfaction and perceived benefits. Statistical analyses were performed to assess changes in physical activity levels and health outcomes.

Study findings

A total of 11,575 participants employed by 73 companies across the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand recorded 19 million minutes of physical activity, with 69.6% of study participants reporting daily activities. By the end of the study period, 70.8% of study participants were still actively participating in the program. The median daily exercise duration was 45 minutes, and participants averaged 34 active days during the study period.

Significant improvements were observed in health metrics, as sleep quality, mood, energy levels, overall health, and perceived fitness increased by 7.6%, 7.1%, 11.6%, 7.7%, and 14%, respectively. Additionally, the number of participants meeting or exceeding international physical activity guidelines rose from baseline levels of 57.3%  to 95.4% during the program.

User feedback was positive, with 92% willing to recommend and rejoin the program; however, only 42% of study participants reported reduced stress levels. Overall, the program effectively increased physical activity levels and improved health outcomes, thus demonstrating its potential as a workplace wellness intervention.

Conclusions

The 15 Minute Challenge, a workplace wellness program, significantly increased physical activity levels and improved various health outcomes, such as fitness, energy, overall health, sleep quality, and mood among employees.

By the end of the program, most of the study participants met or exceeded international physical activity guidelines. High satisfaction levels were also reported, with a significant majority of participants willing to recommend the program.

The study findings highlight the potential of work-based interventions to enhance mental and physical health, which could lead to benefits like increased productivity and reduced absenteeism.

Notable limitations of the current study include its reliance on self-reported data and the absence of a control group, which could introduce biases and limit the ability to attribute the observed changes to the program directly.

Future research should incorporate more rigorous study designs, like randomized controlled trials, to confirm these findings. Exploring strategies to sustain engagement and examining long-term health impacts, as well as the effects of the program on workplace outcomes like employee morale and productivity, would also provide valuable insights.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors Artem Deev and Anton Deev were employed by the 15 Minute Challenge. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

It’s 7:30 on a winter Tuesday morning, and at an indoor pool in Melbourne’s east, a 96-year-old instructor is gently revving up his charges to perform an enthusiastic underwater can-can.

Bill Stevens, a fit-as-a-fiddle nonagenarian with a shock of silver hair, likes to inspire others — who are generally a decade or two (or three) younger than him — to get fit.

And today, he’s really turned up the volume, taking more than 20 high-kicking aqua aerobics participants through their paces with a watery homage to the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

Forget the fanfare and feathers. In Stevens’s class at Aquarena Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Lower Templestowe, it’s all about donning chlorine-resistant bathers, moving to music and having a giggle.

‘A bunch of jellyfish’

Helen Keesman, one of the younger regulars at 61, used to swim in the outside pool, and admits she used to think aqua aerobics participants “just looked like a bunch of jellyfish” bobbing around.

Little did she know she’d wind up loving the splash-filled workouts, which she says are great for core strength and balance. She’s even become part of a dedicated WhatsApp group, where participants check in on each other and share holiday snaps.

Stevens, who started teaching about 25 years ago when he retired from his career as an export marketing manager in the wine industry, says in the beginning, about six or eight people might show up to a class. That’s definitely snowballed.

“Now we have up to 40 and more if there would be enough pool space,” says Stevens, who conducts at least 10 sessions across four centres each week.

One of the hottest tickets in town

The man is certainly in high demand, but he’s not alone. Classes around the country sometimes fill up within minutes, leaving some aqua aerobics enthusiasts high and dry.

Mandy Metcalf, Aquarena’s group fitness captain, says hundreds of people don their cossies each week across about 20 aqua aerobics classes at the centre.

“It’s really picked up in the last few years,” says Metcalf, who notes a bit of a dip in interest during the cooler months.

“That’s a regular occurrence at most aquatic centres, as far as I know.”

Metcalf believes the pandemic might still be having a ripple effect when it comes to the instructor shortage.

“There were more instructors out there prior to COVID. And just because the timeframe was so long, they had to look for work elsewhere — and a lot of them stayed with what they were doing.”

Some were starting to return, she says, but then had to update lapsed CPR qualifications, registrations and the like.

Demand is such that Metcalf herself is completing a course to become an aqua aerobics instructor.

According to a new National Aquatic Workforce Framework, a typical aquatic exercise instructor works less than eight hours a week, for more than one organisation across multiple facilities.

A similar report last year, released by Royal Life Saving Australia, found that 78 per cent of aqua exercise instructors were female and that 29 per cent moonlighted as swim teachers.

And while 41 per cent of aqua aerobics instructors around the country left the industry during the pandemic, 57 per cent of those had returned within four to six months.

RJ Houston, Royal Life Saving Australia’s general manager of capability and industry, says although the general hourly pay rate is quite good (he says anecdotally it’s about $80, but can be less), it can be tricky for aqua aerobics to find enough hours to sustain themselves.

Metcalf agrees the pay can differ between centres, but says around $60 for a 45-minute class is common.

Out of that, instructors often have to pay for their own music, licence and registration, she says. Then there’s the unpaid travel time between different centres.

As for finding enough hours, Houston says in a metropolitan area, nearby centres might be running similar aqua aerobics timetables, making it difficult for instructors to switch between them.

And 58 per cent of Australia’s aquatic facilities are in regional areas, where there’s often just one pool, making it hard for instructors to get enough hours, he says.

Far more than just a workout

Houston says aqua exercise instructors provide a vital role by offering programs to “some of the most vulnerable people in the community”.

That includes people with disabilities or health conditions, obesity, or those who feel isolated and depend on aqua aerobics to get out and about.

Back at Bill Stevens’s class in suburban Melbourne, there’s plenty of upbeat vibes to go around, as the lyrics of Disco Inferno – “burn, baby, burn” – provide a fitting soundtrack to some of the more challenging moves.

However the agile Stevens, who only gave up running at the age of 94, shows no signs of fatigue.

He says he thrives on the feedback he receives from his class members, and loves helping others stay active and social. 

“It keeps you young. It keeps your brain working,” he says.

During a poolside chat after class, Teresa Clarke, 83, says she values the friendships she’s made, and the fitness she’s developed after a hip replacement some years back.

“Bill is a great personality. He’s fit and he keeps us fit.”