Mindfulness Meditation Versus Physical Exercise: Comparing Effects on Stress and Immunocompetence

Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia

Status: Completed

Conditions: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Stress

Treatments: Behavioral: Physical exercise; Behavioral: Mindfulness meditation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03728062

0709201711717

Details and patient eligibility

About

The objective of this research project is to examine if including mindfulness meditation or physical exercise at lunch break improve workers' recovery from work stress. Therefore, 72 workers included either mindfulness meditation or physical exercise during their lunchbreaks for a month in order to find out if these recovery strategies have more favorable outcomes than usually spent lunch breaks concerning: a) psychological detachment, b) perceived stress, c) general health, d) burnout, e) fatigue, f) quality of sleep, g) cortisol awakening response and h) immunocompetence.

Full description

The investigators conduct an intervention study in a sample of 72 knowledge-workers, who engaged in mindfulness meditation or physical activities for five weeks. They performed from 15 to 30 minutes during their lunch breaks. The investigators randomly assigned participants to three experimental conditions: 1) mindfulness meditation, 2) physical activity, 3) control group (lunch break as usual). Online questionnaires before and after intervention assessed long term changes regarding recovery processes, perceived stress, health, mindfulness and burnout. For daily changes, a mobile application was developed to assess changes once per day immediately after work. The investigators also collect saliva samples to map cortisol and immunoglobulin A excretion across the intervention period. The investigators had two follow-up measures one and six months after the intervention.

Enrollment: 72 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Knowledge-workers of an specific company with similar stress level.

Exclusion criteria

• Serious illness
• Regular meditation
• Regular physical exercise

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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72 participants in 3 patient groups

Mindfulness meditation during lunch break

Experimental group

Description:

Participants performed mindfulness meditation during lunch break at work place for a month, beginning with 15 minutes and ending with 30 minutes. They had available a "quiet room" and mp3 audios with guided meditations based on the MBSR program.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness meditation

Physical exercise during lunch break

Experimental group

Description:

Participants performed physical exercises during lunch break at a gym for a month, beginning with 15 minutes and ending with 30 minutes. They were instructed to do cardio exercise such as running through a park or going to the gym for running, rowing, cycling or elliptical exercise. 20-140 beats per minute must be reach.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Physical exercise

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants continue their normal lunch routine.