Participants were evaluated for stress using the PSS questionnaire and for burnout using the MBI questionnaire both pre and post study. PSS scores ranging from 0-13 were considered low perceived stress, score ranging from 14-26 are considered moderate perceived stress, and scores 27-40 are considered high perceived stress. Scores were calculated for each component of the MBI and used to determine whether the participant was indicating low-level, moderate, or high-level burnout for each category. No participant identified as being a high-level burnout in all three categories which is indicative of being at risk of burnout either pre- or post-study. Preliminary analysis was done for assumption testing prior to any group comparison. No missing values were found. In a few cases of Chi-square proportion comparison, some groups had less the five cases as indicated in Table 2.

A series of paired sample t-tests were conducted to compare the pre- and post-HIIT raw values of participants’ PSS score and MBI scores. Preliminary analysis was done for assumption testing prior to any group comparison. No missing values were found. Normality was found in most groups via Shapiro-Wilk tests, with a few violations ignored due to the robustness of the t-tests uses. Significant differences were found in all comparisons with improvement seen for all scores post-HIIT as shown in Table 3.

A series of independent sample t-tests were conducted to compare the pre- and post-HIIT raw values of participants’ PSS score and MBI scores between individuals that reported being treated for stress and those not being treated for stress. Preliminary analysis was done for assumption testing prior to any group comparison. No missing values were found. Normality was found in most groups via Shapiro-Wilk tests, with a few violations ignored due to the robustness of the t-tests uses. Levene’s test for equality indicated equal variances (p > 0.05) between compared groups in all instances. No differences were found in any of the cases as shown in Table 4.

This study aimed to find a solution to prevent burnout syndrome and reduce negative stressors in physical therapists through a 7-minute HIIT workout for 4 weeks. From the primary analysis, physical therapists who completed the 7-minute HIIT workout demonstrated significant improvements in the PSS and MBI. Only 7 minutes of daily exercise produced significant improvements in not only mental health, but also balance, strength, and cardiovascular stamina. Incorporating a 7-minute HIIT exercise program will likely lead to improved job satisfaction and productivity. Rodriguez-Garcia, et al., found that physical therapists experiencing burnout demonstrate less empathy which may lead to worse patient outcomes due to a decreased connection with their patients.15 Physical therapists also may be able to provide higher quality care to their patients since they are less likely to experience emotional exhaustion.26 7 minutes of exercise is also beneficial for those therapists who work full-time jobs and have a family, as it decreases the time constraint needed to produce significant improvements in one s stress and burnout levels which can lead to a more positive work place environment, improved patient outcomes, and benefit the reputation of the business. Employers can use this data to incorporate a workplace wellness program to reduce employee healthcare costs, increase productivity, decrease work loss time, and provide a positive return on investment.

Caparros-Manosalva, et al., and Rodriguez-Garcia, et al., also found that HIIT improves aerobic capacity, body composition, strength in lower limbs, power in lower limbs, and functional independence in the general population. Juan and colleagues noted that a single bout of HIIT can increase SIRT1 muscular gene expression while chronic exercise increases overall blood levels of SIRT1.11 These studies concur with these findings and reinforce that utilizing a 7-minute HIIT workout has the benefits of improving grip strength (dominant and non-dominant hands), balance, and VO2 max. Performing a short exercise bout can produce significant improvements in physical performance measures, similar to a traditional exercise program. Therefore, a 7-minute HIIT workout does not need to be done in addition to one s current exercise program and may still produce benefits similar to a traditional program. This form of workout may be beneficial for individuals with time constraints and may be having trouble finding time to perform any physical activity outside of work.

There were identified limitations to this study. This study utilized convenience sampling which may not reflect the proper results of the entire population of physical therapists. There are often larger than regional differences in stress levels which may not have been accounted for. In collecting our measurements there were some slight inconsistencies with the testing surfaces for the 3 Minute Step Test. In some instances, a high-low table was used and set to the proper height and in other instances, steps that could be stacked on top of each other were used to conduct the test. This subtle change in the surface may have an impact on results. In addition, all participants were aware of the goals of the study prior to participating, which may have skewed their self-reported stress scores into being higher than they truly were post-intervention. Other confounding variables may include other exercises programs subjects may have been participating in, additional outside life stressors not related to the clinic, sickness, and the pre- and post-tests being completed before and after daylight savings which may have altered mood.

While previous studies examined the effects of exercise on mental health, stress, and burnout, this study is believed to be the first to explore the effects of high intensity interval training on stress and burnout in physical therapists. Despite this study yielding significant results in all measured outcomes, the sample size of 31 participants limits the generalizability of the results. Additionally, all participants were exposed to the independent variable (HIIT workout), raising the question as to whether improvements can be attributed specifically to high intensity interval training rather than general exercise. It is recommended that future studies including larger sample sizes as well as a control variable be completed to either support or refute the findings of this study that high intensity interval training can decrease stress and burnout in physical therapists. Furthermore, to increase the accuracy and validity of our data some future suggestions include being able to monitor daily workouts our subjects completed on the app Seven, utilizing cardiovascular measurements to make sure participants were working at high enough intensities during their HIIT workouts each day, and standardizing the risers used for the 3-minute step test.