Acute Effects of Active and Passive Breaks in Office Workers

NCT07647302 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: İAU-FTR-SSA-01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate the acute effects of active and passive break applications during work hours on cervical and shoulder range of motion (ROM), neck functionality, pain intensity, and fatigue levels among office workers. Participants are randomly assigned to either an Active Break Group, performing structured exercises, or a Control Group with passive rest over a 5-day protocol.

Conditions

Office Workers

Keywords

Rest; Fatigue; Range of motion, Articular; Occupational Health; Stretching

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Cervical Range of Motion

  Cervical range of motion including flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation will be measured in degrees using a goniometer to assess active neck mobility. Higher values in degrees indicate better cervical joint mobility.

  Baseline and post-intervention (at the end of 5 working days)

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Shoulder Range of Motion

  Baseline and post-intervention (at the end of 5 working days)

• Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

  Baseline and post-intervention (at the end of 5 working days)

• Neck Disability Index (NDI)

  Baseline and post-intervention (at the end of 5 working days)

• Checklist Individual Strength - Turkish Version (CIS-T)

  Baseline and post-intervention (at the end of 5 working days)

Study Arms (2)

Active Break Group

EXPERIMENTAL

The active break intervention is performed for 5 minutes every hour during the workday for a total of 5 working days. Under the supervision of a physiotherapist, participants perform structured active rest breaks consisting of stretching and mobility exercises targeted at the cervical and shoulder regions. The protocol includes: cervical flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation stretches; upper trapezius stretching, pectoral stretching, posterior capsule stretching; shoulder shrugs, shoulder rolls, and scapular retraction exercises. Each exercise is performed either as a 15-second stretch or completed for 10 repetitions per session, always maintained within a safe and pain-free range of motion.

Behavioral: Active Break Exercises

Passive Break Group

NO INTERVENTION

The passive break group takes a 5-minute passive rest break every hour during the workday for a total of 5 working days. During these designated break periods, participants remain seated quietly and rest at their workstations. They do not perform any physical exercises, stretching routines, or structured active movements, maintaining their usual sedentary work routine during the breaks.

Interventions

Active Break Exercises BEHAVIORAL

The active break intervention is performed for 5 minutes every hour during the workday for a total of 5 working days. Under the supervision of a physiotherapist, participants perform structured active rest breaks consisting of stretching and mobility exercises targeted at the cervical and shoulder regions. The protocol includes: cervical flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation stretches; upper trapezius stretching, pectoral stretching, posterior capsule stretching; shoulder shrugs, shoulder rolls, and scapular retraction exercises. Each exercise is performed either as a 15-second stretch or completed for 10 repetitions per session, always maintained within a safe and pain-free range of motion.

Active Break Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 55 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Being between 20 and 55 years of age
• Working at a desk while seated for at least 5 hours a day
• Not participating in high-intensity physical activity regularly
• Volunteering to participate in the study and providing informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• History of recent trauma or surgery directed at the cervical or thoracic regions
• Current state of pregnancy
• Diagnosis of diabetes or similar chronic systemic diseases
• Presence of any cognitive or physical limitation that could affect exercise performance or assessments

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Istanbul Aydın University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Hafez Taplux Group

Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Fatigue

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Gözde Başbuğ, PhD,PT

  Istanbul Aydın University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Seyedeh simin Ashraftalesh, BSc,PT

CONTACT

+90 5387782429; siminashraf1377@gmail.com

Gözde Başbuğ, PhD,PT

CONTACT

gozdebasbug@aydin.edu.tr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: MSc student

Model Details: A randomized controlled trial with two parallel groups (Active Break Group vs. Passive Break Control Group) to evaluate the acute effects on neck functionality, range of motion, pain, and fatigue.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 10, 2026
• First Posted: June 15, 2026
• Study Start: June 15, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 22, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2026
• Last Updated: June 15, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)