Resistance Exercise Training on Musculoskeletal, Metabolic and Psychological Health in Sedentary Office Workers – Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Purpose: To consolidate the emerging evidence on the effectiveness of resistance training (RT) in reducing the health risks among sedentary office workers. Methods: Four electronic databases were searched for evidence from its inception till september 20, 2024. Studies were included if they examined any form of RT program targeting musculoskeletal, metabolic, or psychological health outcomes in office workers aged 18 years or older using PICOS criteria (Population – office workers, Intervention – RT program, Comparison – placebo or sham control and Outcomes – musculoskeletal, cardiometabolic and psychological health variables). Two reviewers independently screened the studies for risk of bias and assessed the certainty of the evidence. Results: Out of 60 identified studies, 17 studies were eligible for narrative synthesis, and 16 were included in the meta-analysis. Modest reductions in neck (SMD = -1.76, I² = 88%, p < 0.00001) and shoulder discomfort (SMD = -13.29, I² = 91%, p < 0.00001), while marginal improvement in shoulder (SMD = 4.13, I² = 99%, p = 0.03) and neck extensor muscle strength (SMD = 9.07, I² = 9%, p < 0.00001). The cardiometabolic and mental health risk markers remain unaltered. High uncertainty of evidence was observed due to high heterogeneity, risk of bias, inconsistency and publication bias. Conclusion: Limited evidence demonstrate supervised RT programs of any dose has a potential to improve muscular strength and discomfort while potential cardiometabolic and mental health risk outcomes remain unaltered. However, more high-quality research trials are needed to understand the effects of RT on health benefits.