Comparison of the Effects of Two Different Exercise Programs in Office Workers

The aim of our study is to compare the effects of functional exercises and posture exercises on lower extremity functions, posture and physical activity in office workers. For this reason, functional exercises will be applied to a group of office workers and posture exercises will be applied to a group, lower extremity functions, posture and physical activity will be evaluated before and after the training.

There are studies reporting that the long working time spent at the desk in office workers and working in a static position are the etiological factors of various problems in the upper and lower extremities.Office workers who are eligible for inclusion criteria and willing to participate in the study will be included.Participants will be randomly divided into two groups as functional exercise group and posture exercises group.

Exercise program:

1. st Group: Functional exercise group (20 people) The exercise program is planned as a function-oriented exercise program aimed at improving balance skills, increasing lower extremity muscle strength and functions. During all exercises, exercises will be done while maintaining postural smoothness. For the postural smoothness, feedback will be provided by the physiotherapist for orientation, correction and protection to the participants. The exercise program will be applied online, 2 days a week for 8 weeks. In the beginning, 3 sets of 10 repetitions will be progressed gradually as 3 sets of 15 repetitions, 3 sets of 20 repetitions, according to the tolerance of the participant. Exercises will be progressed from simple to difficult. There will be a 2-minute rest period between sets. All 28 exercises defined in the functional exercise group will not be applied in one session. Exercise selection will be made according to the functional status of the participant.Exercises are planned to be performed in a chair supported, bipedal position, unipedal position, using weights, providing resistance with elastic band in various degrees of difficulty and in various positions. In the beginning, 6-7 exercises, which are appropriate according to the evaluation results of the participants, will be selected according to the difficulty level and the exercises will be changed in the following weeks. The exercises will start with warm-up exercises and end with cooling exercises. Warm-up exercises and cool-down exercises will take 5 minutes at the beginning and 5 minutes at the end, a total of 10 minutes.
2. nd Group: Posture exercises group (20 people) The exercise program was planned by focusing on posture exercises in order to increase the postural smoothness of the participants. During all exercises, exercises will be done while maintaining postural smoothness. For the postural smoothness, feedback will be provided by the physiotherapist for orientation, correction and protection to the participants. The exercise program will be applied online, 2 days a week for 8 weeks. In the beginning, range of motion exercises will be progressed as 3 sets of 10 repetitions, then gradually as 3 sets of 15 repetitions and 3 sets of 20 repetitions, according to the tolerance of the participant. Stretching exercises will be done as 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions. Initially, 6-7 exercises will be selected according to the postural evaluation results of the participants.

Exercises will be changed in the following weeks. Resistance will not be applied in the exercises, and the participants will be asked to maintain the specified exercise position for 5-6 seconds for range of motion exercises and 20 30 seconds for stretching exercises.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Being in the age range of 20-45
* Being an office worker Working remotely and alternately due to the Covid 19 pandemic
* Working at the computer for at least 4-5 hours a day

Exclusion Criteria:

* Having a surgical history of the lower extremity Presence of a chronic neurological, orthopedic, vestibular or cardiac disease
* Being pregnant
* Exercising regularly or doing sports for the past year