Adi Pranoto, Taufiq Hidayat, Andre Dwijanto Witjaksono, Muhammad, Irmantara Subagio, Nining Widyah Kusnanik, Gigih Siantoro, Bayu Agung Pramono, Laily Mita Andriana, Bekir Erhan Orhan
Background and Study Aim Material and Methods Results Conclusions Sedentary behavior among university students has become a pressing public health issue that requires innovative and context-specific interventions within the campus setting. One strategic approach to addressing this issue is the implementation of structured, non-pharmacological, exercise-based programs. Therefore, this study aimed to design and evaluate a campus-based, non-pharmacological exercise intervention to prevent sedentary lifestyles among university students. A total of 58 university students (26 females and 32 males), aged 18–20 years, participated in this study. All participants completed a 4-week intervention combining aerobic exercise (jogging and power walking) with bodyweight resistance training. Four key indicators, namely physical activity level (PA level), sedentary duration (sitting or lying time), cardiorespiratory fitness (VO₂max), and resting heart rate (resting HR), were measured at baseline (pretest) and after the 4-week intervention (posttest) in both male and female groups. Statistical analysis was conducted using a paired-sample t-test with a significance level of 5%. Physical activity levels significantly increased between the pretest and posttest by 2,022.75 METs (114.17%) in males and 1,769.08 METs (114.65%) in females. Sedentary duration significantly decreased by 109.22 minutes (−22.65%) in males and 131.58 minutes (−17.73%) in females. VO₂max showed a significant improvement, increasing by 10.09 mL/kg/min (27.43%) in males and 7.81 mL/ kg/min (27.50%) in females. Resting heart rate also decreased significantly by 7.32 bpm (−11.32%) in males and 7.26 bpm (−10.29%) in females. This study demonstrates that a 4-week, non-pharmacological, exercise-based intervention is effective in reducing sedentary behavior and improving key health indicators among university students. © Adi Pranoto, Taufiq Hidayat, Andre Dwijanto Witjaksono, Muhammad, Irmantara Subagio, Nining Widyah Kusnanik, Gigih Siantoro, Bayu Agung Pramono, Laily Mita Andriana, Bekir Erhan Orhan, 2025.
Department of Sports Coaching Education, Faculty of Sport and Health Science, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia; Department of Physical Education, Health and Recreation, Faculty of Sport and Health Science, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia; Department of Management, Faculty of Economics, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia; Faculty of Sports Sciences, Istanbul Aydın University, Istanbul, Turkey
