2. Is it possible to motivate employees to
commuting physical activity with the help
of health and fitness controls?
What are the main health and fitness effects of
commuting physical activity among the
employees?
One aimed to find out in this pilot project…
3. • Nowadays only 11 % of Finnish working-age people (18-64 years old) fulfill weekly
physical activity recommendations.
Backgrounds
• An alternative is more-demanding, vigorous-intensity aerobic physical
activity with an accumulation of at least 1 h 15 min per week.
• According to recommendations health is promoted by moderate-intensity
aerobic physical activity of at least 10 minutes that accumulates throughout a
week to a total of at least 2 h 30 min per week.
• In addition, everyone
needs muscle-
strengthening and
balance training at least
twice a week.
4. • Fulfill weekly physical activity recommendation at 60 %
of the participants.
Main goals
• Decrease 50 % the participants’ absence days from
work due to illness.
5. • Participants (63 employees) were
selected to this intervention with
help of commuting questionnaire
which was pointed to all employees
(12 000 persons) of the city of
Turku.
Participants selecting
• Selected participants were
physically passive or inadequate
physical active.
• Participants’ main mode of
transport to work was not walking
or cycling before intervention.
• Participants had also chance to
increase weekly physical activity
through commuting physical
activity.
6. Participants were motivated with
• Monitoring one`s own trips and
kilometers of commuting physical
activity.
• Health and fitness controls
• Reflective vest and reflectors
• Infos of healthy and smart mobility
• Slide hinder for shoes
• Competitions of commuting physical
activity
• Free bike service
• Discounts for bikes, bike
equipments and bike services
• Sharing one´s commuting physical
activity experiences in
interventions Facebook-site
7. • Body mass index
Health and fitness controls included
• Waist circumference
• Blood pressure
• VO₂max
(maximal oxygen uptake
measured with cycle
ergometer)
• Blood sugar levels
• Cholesterol
(HDL, LDL and
triglycerides)
• Commuting physical activity
guidance (based on participant`s
health and fitness control results)
• Questionnaire
8. Most effecting activities
1. Health and fitness controls
2. Monitoring trips and kilometers
3. Reflective vest and reflectors /
Infos of healthy and smart mobility
4. Slide hinder for shoes
5. Competitions
9. Costs of the activities
• Monitoring one`s own trips and
kilometers of commuting physical
activity 0 €
• Health and fitness controls 100 €
• Reflective vest and reflectors 0 €
• Infos of healthy and smart mobility 10 €
• Slide hinder for shoes 26 €
• Competitions of commuting physical
activity 7 €
• Free bike service 7 €
• Discounts for bikes, bike
equipments and bike services 0 €
• Sharing one´s commuting physical
activity experience in interventions
Facebook-site 0 €
=Total 150 €/
participant/
year
=costs of
one parking
lot of a car
per month in
the city
center of
Turku
10. According to intervention`s final results 41,4 % of the
participants fulfilled the weekly physical activity
recommendation at the end of the intervention.
Results; Weekly physical activity recommendations
6,9
6,9
27,6 = 41,4 %
11. During last six months (control III)
85,7 % of participants increased their weekly physical activity at least 15-30 minutes.
57,1 % of participants increased their weekly physical activity at least 30-60 minutes.
42,8 % of participants increased their weekly physical activity at least 60-90 minutes.
Results; Weekly physical activity increased
-
Participants commuting physical activity was an average in week 2,8 trips and 5,8 km/trip.
12. • Participants` absence days from work due to illness decreased on
average 26 % (8,91 days->6,6 days/year, in other words 2,31 days).
Results; Absence days from work due to illness
• This means approximately 810 €/participant/year. Cost of one
absence day from work due to illness is approximately 350 €.
8,91
6,6
14,1
13. • In addition participants` activity, working ability and
aerobic fitness improved
Results; Workin ability and Fitness class
8,3
7,5
14. • Body mass index (BMI) reduced
Results; Body mass index
• Normal weight = BMI = 18,5-24,9
15. • Waist circumference (cm) reduced
Results; Waist circumference
• Men < 94 cm
• Women < 80 cm
16. • To promote commuting physical activity with
the help of health and fitness controls and
guidance
What is new?
• To show for interventions participants what
health and fitness effects follows from their
regular commuting physical activity
• Participants were motivated to change their
mobility routine by discovering the positive
health and fitness effects of commuting
physical activity
17. • Cooperation with occupational
health care
What is new?
• To generate together health and
fitness controls testing model
for employees
• Testing model fits needs of
occupational care daily work
and controls with
employees
18. • The intervention was planned in the way that all elements
Transferability
• are transferable to other cities and /
or regions in Finland
methods,
practices,
cooperation model
…
19. One can easily motivate employees to commuting physical
activity with the help of health and fitness controls and
guidance
Main outcomes and conclusions
Commuting physical activity have many significant impacts
on employees` health and fitness
Cooperation of several sectors of municipality is the key
success factor of promoting commuting physical activity
The measures of promoting commuting physical activity are
easy to take use, inexpensive and demands none or very
little bureaucracy
90 % of participants experienced that this kind of intervention
was useful for changing one´s commuting behaviour to more
healthy way
20. Thanks for listening!
Tapio Hartikainen
tapio.hartikainen@poyry.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tapiohartikainen
