Investigation of the effect of occupational therapy interventions added to reformer pilates exercises in office workers

Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of occupational therapy-based interventions added to a Reformer Pilates exercise programme on pain, physical capacity, burnout, fatigue, quality of life, posture, activity performance and satisfaction levels in sedentary office workers. Materials and Methods: The study included 20 individuals with sedentary lifestyles working in desk-based occupations. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups: Group 1 (n=10) received occupation-based interventions in addition to reformer Pilates exercises, while Group 2 (n=10) received only a reformer Pilates exercise program. All interventions were administered over eight sessions. In addition to the evaluation form prepared by the researcher, the following instruments were used in the evaluations: Functional Reach Test, 30-Second Sit to Stand Test, Semi-Squat Test, Maslach Burnout Inventory, Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue, Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaires, World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale-Bref (WHOQOL-BREF), APECS: Body Posture Evaluation Mobile application, and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). Results: The mean age of participants in Group 1 was 36.20±8.48 years, while in Group 2 it was 39.70±5.96 years. Following the intervention, a significant within-group improvement was observed in the performance tests applied to both groups (p<0.005). However, only Group 2, which received additional occupation-based interventions, demonstrated statistically significant improvements in the emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation sub-dimensions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, in all sub-dimensions of the Multidimensional Fatigue Scale and WHOQOL-BREF, in the shoulder alignment and lateral view parameters of the posture analysis, and in the performance and satisfaction levels in all activities evaluated with the COPM (p<0.005). Conclusion: While only reformer Pilates exercises were effective in improving physical capacity in sedentary individuals working at a desk, interventions integrated with occupational therapy provided multidimensional gains. In this context, the integration of individual-centred occupational therapy interventions into programmes that promote physical activity, such as Reformer Pilates, offers a more holistic and effective approach in terms of pain management, postural improvement, fatigue reduction, improving quality of life and supporting activity satisfaction. It is recommended that more resources be allocated to personalised and multidisciplinary interventions to improve the health and work productivity of individuals working in office environments. Keywords: Activity Performance; Occupational Therapy; Office Worker; Quality of Life; Reformer Pilates