Effects of Workplace Exercise Interventions on Health and Work-Related Outcomes in Office Workers with Prolonged Sitting: A Combined Subjective and Objective Assessment

This dataset documents a non-randomized controlled intervention study evaluating a 4-week physiotherapy exercise program tailored to muscles overloaded by prolonged sitting among office workers. The study examined effects on musculoskeletal pain, presenteeism, well-being, and work engagement using both subjective instruments (WellBQ, UWES-17, SPS-6, NMQ) and objective muscle measures: (1) muscle tiredness assessed with surface electromyography (EMG)-including the sSLOPE index (a muscle endurance measure based on the slope of the regression curve, indicating response speed and left–right correspondence) and SLOPEavL/SLOPEavR (averages across four muscles on the left/right side); and (2) muscle stiffness assessed by myotonometry-GMTA, a general muscle tone asymmetry index averaged over four muscles.Forty-five female administrative employees participated (intervention n=22; comparison n=23). The intervention group completed a 4-week physiotherapy exercise program, and assessments were conducted at baseline (T1) and post-intervention (T2). Four back muscles were examined: Trapezius descendens, Trapezius ascendens, Erector spinae-thoracic, and Erector spinae-lumbar. A follow-up survey was administered to the intervention group only to monitor behavioural and work-habit changes and knowledge transfer. The dataset includes basic demographics, questionnaire scores, EMG/myotonometry indices, and follow-up data (intervention group only).