Different types of worksite exercise programs have similar benefits, according to a study published in the July Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JCOEM).

Researchers randomly assigned 841 Danish office workers to two exercise groups. One did general exercise such as aerobics and walking. The other group did strength training, focusing on the shoulder and neck muscles. Both programs included an hour of supervised exercise per week. A third group received no at-work exercise program.

Cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure and body fat, decreased in both exercise groups. And both groups had reductions in back and shoulder pain. Neither form of exercise was found to significantly improve general health or work productivity. That may have been due to the relative good health of the group at the start of the study.