Resident Wellness Initiative: Improving Physical Activity, Nutrition Education and Mental Health of Residents

The health and mental health benefits of physical activity, quality sleep and optimal nutritional habits are innumerable and widely reported. Unfortunately, resident physicians report participation in physical activity at reduced rates compared with the general population. Reasons for limited physical activity include fatigue and lack of free time to dedicate to exercise. The lack of exercise is combined with variable sleep patterns due to call schedules, as well as deterioration of nutritional habits, leads to weight gain and overall decline in the health of the resident physician population. Another neurosurgery department has implemented a similar program for their resident physicians and found improvements in weight, biometric markers and increased cardiovascular tolerance of physical activity.

The activity goals are derived from the 2013 the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Guidelines on lifestyle management to reduce cardiovascular risk, with considerations made for different levels of ability among the participants, as well as limitations time.

Fitness Protocol: The investigators will view any activity as better than no activity. The program will begin with activities geared toward the least fit/active resident to encourage participation from all levels of ability. The investigators will need options to increase intensity or difficulty for more advanced participants. Prior to introduction of the fitness regimen, the investigators would discuss appropriate progression of activity with a fitness expert. The proposed progression through various fitness goals is noted by type and timeline below.

Step Goal: Each participant will be asked to wear a fitness tracker to quantify steps walked per day, among other health parameters. Goals will be set for number of steps per day and per week, with incremental increase through the course of the program.

Cardiac Activity: Goals will be suggested for participants to complete cardiac activity through the course of their week. This may be running, which would overlap with the step goals, biking, or another cardiac exercise of the participants' preference. The goal will increase gradually over the course of the program.

Daily Challenge: A physical challenge will be extended to each participant to be completed every day, increasing in difficulty or repetitions through the month. This will be a simple task that could be performed without any equipment, such as (but not limited to) a plank hold, pushups or jumping jacks.

Weekly Workout: Workouts will be created by colleagues from appropriate departments (Kinesiology, Sports Performance) to be completed in a single ~30 minute setting or small 5-10 minute increments in order to be integrated into the physician lifestyle. These workouts will be completed on an individual basis and will be simple enough for completion in a small space, such as the call rooms, with access to hand weights, resistance bands and the stairwell.

Group Activities: Group activities will be planned once per month, with a focus on team building and physical activity. These group activities will be made available to non-study participants to encourage family attendance and participation in physical fitness. Some examples of proposed activities include soccer, sand volleyball, basketball.

Education: Colleagues from nutrition, neuropsychology and kinesiology will be invited for guest lectures on a monthly basis to improve resident education on topics such as making nutritionally smart choices and appropriate meal preparation, improving sleep hygiene, and how to incorporate activity into our currently lifestyles.

Study Timeline Pre-Program - distribution of surveys; biometric data obtained Month 1 - goal for steps. Group activity: movement safety. Month 2 - goal for steps + cardiac activity. Group activity. Month 3 - goal for steps + cardiac activity + daily challenge + improve sleep hygiene. Group activity. Repeat health surveys.

Month 4 - increase goal for steps + cardiac activity + daily challenge + weekly workout. Group activity.

Month 5 - goal for steps + cardiac activity + daily challenge + weekly workout + improve sleep habits. Group activity.

Month 6 - continuation of above goals + setting individual goals. Group activity.

Post-Program - distribution of surveys; biometric follow up data obtained.

Current resident within the Neurosurgery Program in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provided they are willing to participate based on completion of informed consent.

Participants will likely be young adults in relatively good health status.

Inclusion criteria

• resident within the Neurosurgery Program in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
• ability to participate in light activity, and being willing to participate.

Exclusion criteria

• Unable to participate in planned activities
• those not willing to participate
• non-resident department employees.