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A systematic review of standing and treadmill desks in the workplace
... The implementation of standing desks in classroom spaces may be one such strategy. Evidence from non-college students suggests that the use of standing desks may improve physiological outcomes, including postprandial glucose, HDL cholesterol, and anthropometrics, although at present, the summary of the evidence to support the use of standing desks to improve mood outcomes has provided mixed results [14]. Another easy to implement solution for faculty members and students to improve mood and cognitive performance may be to implement movement breaks during class time. ...
... Further, this study is the first to use machine learning to predict changes in various cognitive and mood outcomes using trait mental and physical energy and fatigue. The current findings add significantly to the literature, as they may help explain some of the inconsistent results that have previously been reported for both standing desks [14] and studies using similar mental task protocols to understand various nutritional interventions [10,11,24,25,45,46,69]. Our findings support the use of the lowcost and time efficient survey to measure trait mental and physical energy and fatigue in identifying inter-individual responses to various interventions. ...
... Interestingly, when examining mental and physical energy separately, we find that performing mental tasks while standing increase mental energy; however, feelings of physical energy declined. This nuance may help explain the findings of previous work examining standing desks and moods that supports the chronic use of standing desks to increases feelings of vigor [14]. The previous studies did not differentiate between mental and physical energy [14] and may have captured increases in mental energy in their data. ...
College students can be sedentary for a majority of the day, which may exacerbate mental health issues or lead to declines in cognitive task performance; however, interventions to address sedentary behaviors may not positively influence everyone. Therefore, the present study sought to identify inter-individual cognitive performance and mood changes of college students during the performance of a cognitive task battery, while seated, standing and with intermittent bouts of walking. Participants (n = 31, age = 25.80 ± 3.61 yrs, 7 male) completed a series of baseline questionnaires including the Trait Mental and Physical Energy and Fatigue survey. Using a randomized controlled cross-over design, participants completed 3 separate testing sessions. At each session, they performed a series of three rounds of cognitive tasks for 27 min and self-reporting mood states for 1 min in the seated position. Each round of cognitive testing was followed by a 2 min break. Each testing day had participants spend the 2 min break in a different condition: sitting, standing, or walking. A series of mixed ANOVAs were used for the primary analysis and a combination of machine learning regressors and classifiers were used for the secondary analysis. Our results suggest that there are unique inter-individual responses to each of the interventions used during the 2 min break. Participants who were low-trait mental and low-trait physical energy benefited the most from the standing desk intervention, while also reporting significant benefits of intermittent walking. However, participants who were low-trait mental fatigue had significant negative consequences of using both standing desks and walking intermittently, while those who were high-trait mental fatigue saw no change in cognitive responses or moods in those conditions. Post hoc machine learning analyses had modest accuracy rates (MAEs < 0.7 for regressors and accuracy rates >60% for classifiers), suggesting that trait mental and physical energy and fatigue may predict inter-individual responses to these interventions. Incorporating standing desks into college classroom settings may result in some students receiving cognitive benefits when inter-individual variability in mood and cognitive responses are accounted for.
... Limited cross-sectional studies have shown an association between LBP and prolonged sitting, but have used self-report measures, for either one or both outcomes (i.e., LBP and/or sitting time). Additionally, none of these studies have examined the effects of sitting or LBP on the potential biomechanical mechanism of posture [23,24]. Self-report, particularly for sitting time, has shown to have large bias, poor precision, and weak correlation with objective measures of sitting [25]. ...
... Previous studies have shown that sedentary time is associated with low back pain [23,24]. Gupta et al. (2015) reported a positive association between high amounts of sedentary hours (> 8.3 h/d) and self-reported LBP level of > 4/9 (N = 33;16% of their sample) in blue collar workers, as compared to those that had less average sedentary hours [23]. ...
... Previous studies have shown that sedentary time is associated with low back pain [23,24]. Gupta et al. (2015) reported a positive association between high amounts of sedentary hours (> 8.3 h/d) and self-reported LBP level of > 4/9 (N = 33;16% of their sample) in blue collar workers, as compared to those that had less average sedentary hours [23]. However, their study included working adults from occupations involving regular lifting and carrying (e.g., manufacturing, assemblers, cleaners) with no consideration of a posture measure. ...
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between objectively measured sitting time, posture, and low back pain (LBP) in adults with full-time (≥ 40 h/week) sedentary “desk” jobs. Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) between work environments (home vs. office) were also compared during COVID-19.
Methods
Participants (N = 53; Mage = 41 ± 12years) were full-time employees in sedentary jobs during COVID-19. A survey with demographic, work environment, and LBP questions was completed; Thomas Test assessed poor hip posture. ActivPAL devices were worn for ≥ 4 valid days (≥ 10 h/d) to assess waking sitting time (min/d). Binomial logistic regressions examined sitting as a predictor of poor posture and LBP; ANOVAs compared PA and SB between work environments.
Results
Objectively measured sitting (min/day) predicted poor hip posture (β = − 0.01, p < 0.046) but was not significant for LBP (β = 0.002, p < 0.43). Participants who worked from home had significantly higher sitting time (569 ± 111 vs. 477 ± 46 min/d; p < 0.04), higher muscle strengthening PA (2.2 ± 2 vs. 0.5 ± 1.2d/week p < 0.02), but no difference in aerobic PA (p < 0.15), than those who worked from an office.
Conclusion
Given the shift to remote work during COVID-19, employees are at high risk for postural compensations that lead to LBP due to high SB and poor work ergonomics at home. There is a need to develop home-based behavioral and exercise interventions to reduce sitting, help improve posture, and invest in proper ergonomic homework equipment.
... Meanwhile, there is emerging evidence that time spent in light-intensity physical activity, including walking (< 5 mph), can counteract the negative health effects of prolonged sitting [4,18]. Most recently, there has been growing interest in targeted workplace interventions using active workstations (e.g., sit-stand desks, stepping devices, pedal machines) to interrupt prolonged sitting [19][20][21][22][23][24] or treadmill desksa vertical workstation with a treadmill (i.e., a motorized platform with a continuous belt) to permit working and walking [25]. Despite the relative recent emergence of this literature, efforts to understand the effect of a treadmill desk with workrelated tasks have, nonetheless, been ongoing since the late 1980s [25]. ...
... To date, few systematic reviews, and meta-analyses of active workstations on sedentary time [38][39][40][41], energy expenditure [19,23,42], or cardiometabolic health [19,22,23,39] exist. There are even fewer meta-analyses of the effect of treadmill desks on sedentary time [38,39], energy expenditure [23,42] and cardiometabolic health [23,39]. ...
... There were minimal issues ascertaining energy expenditure in laboratory studies. However, our findings agree with previous research that the opportunity cost of sitting, instead of walking, amounts to~100 kcal per hour [2,22]. Although the effect size for sitting time in our study was small, it aligns with prior randomized and observational studies which have shown improvements in insulin sensitivity [59] and mortality risk [60,61] as a result of a 30-min reduction in sitting time per day; accrued in short (1-to 2-min) bouts at regular intervals. ...
Background
As the health risks of sedentary working environments become more clear, greater emphasis on the implementation of walking interventions to reduce sitting time is needed. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we investigate the role of treadmill-desk interventions on energy expenditure, sitting time, and cardiometabolic health in adults with sedentary occupations.
Methods
Relevant studies published in English were identified using CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases up to December 2020. Random effects meta-analysis models were used to pool study results.
Results
Thirteen relevant studies (six workplaces and seven laboratories) were found with a total of 351 participants. Pooled analysis of laboratory studies showed a significant increase in energy expenditure (105.23 kcal per hour, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 90.41 to 120.4), as well as metabolic rate (5.0 mL/kg/min, 95% CI: 3.35 to 6.64), among treadmill desk users compared to sitting conditions. No evidence of significant differences in blood pressure were found. In workplace studies, we observed a significant reduction in sitting time over a 24-h period (− 1.73 min per hour, 95% CI: − 3.3 to − 0.17) among users of treadmill desks, compared to a conventional desk. However, there were no evidence of statistically significant changes in other metabolic outcomes.
Conclusions
Treadmill desks offer a feasible and effective intervention to increase energy expenditure and metabolic rate and reduce sitting time while performing work-related tasks. Future studies are needed to increase generalizability to different workplace settings and further evaluate their impact on cardiometabolic health.
... Undoubtedly, standing or moving at work increases energy expenditure and brings health benefits while lowering the risk of diseases related to physical inactivity [19,22]. The question arises whether this happens at the expense of the effectiveness of professional activities. ...
... Introducing a physical intervention related to active workstations can improve health and physical activity of people with sedentary jobs. However, further research is needed to determine the impact of the position in which work activities are performed on cognitive functions and office productivity [22,33]. ...
Study aim : The aims of this study were to compare the effectiveness of performing tasks involving different cognitive functions in sitting versus standing positions and to assess the perceived workload. Standing or moving at work increases energy expenditure and brings health benefits while lowering the risk of diseases related to physical inactivity. The question arises whether this occurs at the expense of the effectiveness of professional activities.
Material and methods : Twenty-nine physical education students (including 20 women and 9 men) volunteered to participate in the study. The participants performed four cognitive tests: two tests based on the Vienna Test System (Cognitron and ALS) and two paper-and-pencil tests (TUS and Toulouse-Pieron test).
Results : There were no significant differences found between the sitting and the standing groups as regards the results of the cognitive tests. The number of omissions in the TUS test was higher in a standing position. The groups significantly differed in the perceived workload: A greater value of the summary weighted index was obtained in the sitting group. Also, the sitting students perceived their mental effort as significantly more onerous.
Conclusions : The results of this pilot study suggest that the standing position does not reduce the effectiveness of activities involving cognitive functions. This is an incentive to continue randomized trials with a greater number of individuals.
... Walking workstations instead of standing workstations led to the greatest improvement in different physiological outcomes, including postprandial glucose and HDL cholesterol (73). ...
... Although the ideal walking velocity for letting the working performance unaffected is still under debate, results suggested 2.25 km/h for word processing tasks (78). Moreover, a systematic review suggested that a self-selected pace between 1.6 and 3.2 km/h is ideal for optimizing typing and mouse performance (73). ...
From the second half of the previous century, there has been a shift toward occupations largely composed of desk-based behaviors. This, inevitably, has led to a workload reduction and a consequent lower energy expenditure. On this point, small increments of the non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) could be the rationale to reach health benefits over a prolonged period. Different published researches suggest solutions to reverse sitting time and new alternative workstations have been thought to increase total physical activity. Therefore, the purpose of this narrative review is to summarize the current state of the research regarding the “NEAT approach” to weight-gain prevention in work environments. This review analyzes the main evidence regarding new alternative workstations such as standing, walking workstations, seated pedal, and gymnastic balls to replace a standard office chair.
... 9 On the one hand, sufficient evidence from systematic reviews exists to identify PA promotion programmes that might be effective in workplaces. [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] However, the relevance of systematic reviews for increasing the possibilities of the uptake of PA programmes is unclear. 26 While systematic reviews indicate what is effective and how much the effect size is-a critical factor in deciding whether programmes to be scaled up might be a good investment-they do not take into account the context of workplaces suggested by the socialecological model. ...
... Regarding areas of focus (f), the following details were extracted according to nine categories identified from previous systematic reviews: (i) time of delivery and location, (ii) sectors, (iii) target behaviour and intensity, (iv) type/mode of activity, (v) target employees, (vi) level of impact, (vii) who delivers it, (viii) programme characteristics and (ix) existence of evaluation outcomes. [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] The full description for each area of focus is presented in Supplementary appendix 2. ...
Background
There is a need to scale-up effective physical activity (PA) programmes for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), where the uptake of PA interventions is low. Identifying real-life workplace practices in PA could contribute to a better understanding of what PA programmes might be most grounded in the ‘real world’. However, there is a scarcity of evidence showing what gets done. This study aimed to identify, describe and comprehensively summarize the real-life implementations of workplace PA initiatives, particularly in Europe, as a prior step to disseminating future feasible PA practices for SMEs.
Methods
A scoping review of grey literature included a systematic search in the Google advanced search platform that permuted a combination of key concepts (PA, workplace, interventions/programmes), internet domains, and search operators in six different languages (Catalan, Finnish, French, Dutch, English and Spanish) between 2015 and November 2020. The analysis process was iterative, and multiple methods were used to sort, group and categorize the initiatives.
Results
There were a total of 713 real-life workplace PA initiatives from different-sized organizations identified. These were categorized into five themes: active work and living, exercise and fitness programs, management and leadership, communication and dissemination, and facilities. Finally, feature trees showing a menu for real-life workplace PA practices were implemented.
Conclusions
Identifying real-life practice providing a state-of-the-art snapshot of current PA practices in workplaces, which is a starting point to better understand feasible practices in the context of small- and medium-sized workplaces.
... Two randomized trials have indicated that implementing height-adjustable desks is associated with improved employee mood, fatigue, well-being, energy levels, and/or task engagement [17,18]; however, another randomized crossover trial indicated that height-adjustable desk implementation does not impact these outcomes [19]. Most studies have suggested that the use of height-adjustable desks alone is not associated with a sustained change in employee productivity [17,18,[20][21][22]. ...
... At the end of the current study, participants using only a height-adjustable desk to reduce sitting at work did not report any moderate or large changes in mental well-being or work performance compared to the Control. These findings are consistent with prior research obtained from employees using height-adjustable desks in traditional office settings [17,[19][20][21]. Although height-adjustable desk provisions alone while working from home did not improve employee mental well-being or work performance in a non-powered statistical analysis, the qualitative analyses indicated that some study participants did report benefits, such as increased energy and focus. ...
Abstract
Sedentary behavior negatively impacts mental health, which can decrease employee productivity. Employee mental well-being and work performance may improve with sedentary reduction interventions, especially strategies that include environmental workplace modifications and behavior-changing strategies. However, such interventions have not been examined among employees working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the Stand Up Kansas program, 95 sedentary university employees working from home were randomized into one of four intervention arms: height-adjustable desk provision (Desk Only), online sedentary behavior modification program (Program Only), Desk + Program, or Control. The outcomes were measured at a baseline (November 2020) and following the 12-week intervention (February 2021). Employees reported mood (positive and negative affect), stress, fatigue (duration, interference with activities and severity) and work performance (irritability, focus, work satisfaction, non-work satisfaction and productivity) were measured using established self-report instruments. The effect sizes, by comparing the Control arm to the Desk + Program arm, revealed large improvements in mood (positive affect, d = 1.106). Moderate improvements were also seen in fatigue (duration, d = −0.533, and interference with activities, d = −0.648) and several aspects of work performance (focus, d = 0.702, work satisfaction, d = 0.751, and productivity, d = 0.572). Moderate effect sizes were also seen for positive affect (d = 0.566) and fatigue severity (d = 0.577) among the Program Only arm, whereas no noteworthy effect sizes were observed among the Desk Only arm. Combining an online sedentary behavior modification program with height-adjustable desk provisions appeared to positively affect mental well-being and work performance among remote employees.
Keywords: mental well-being; work performance; sedentary behavior; mood; energy
... There is strong evidence that physical activity is a key aspect of optimizing health and preventing disease. For example, systematic reviews of work environments have considered the relationship between desk type and heart rate, blood pressure, cardiometabolic risk factors, body mass index (BMI), work productivity, and mood (MacEwen et al., 2015), or open-plan workspaces work environments and health components such as sickness absences, job satisfaction, job concentration, work fatigue, or musculoskeletal disorders (De Croon et al., 2005;Richardson et al., 2017). Numerous studies have considered the work environment and reducing sedentary behavior at work (Becker et al., 2019;Chau et al., 2016;MacEwen et al., 2015;Neuhaus et al., 2014;Tew et al., 2015). ...
... For example, systematic reviews of work environments have considered the relationship between desk type and heart rate, blood pressure, cardiometabolic risk factors, body mass index (BMI), work productivity, and mood (MacEwen et al., 2015), or open-plan workspaces work environments and health components such as sickness absences, job satisfaction, job concentration, work fatigue, or musculoskeletal disorders (De Croon et al., 2005;Richardson et al., 2017). Numerous studies have considered the work environment and reducing sedentary behavior at work (Becker et al., 2019;Chau et al., 2016;MacEwen et al., 2015;Neuhaus et al., 2014;Tew et al., 2015). However, no systematic reviews have focused on the relationship between physical activity and physical or structural office design components (desk, office layouts, floor plans, and building design) of the work environment. ...
Background
Many American workers spend over 7 hours a day at work in primarily sedentary office work. Physical activity is a key aspect of optimizing health and preventing disease; yet, 80% of American adults do not meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity. In this systematic review, the relationship between physical work environment and physical activity among office workers was explored.
Methods
Of the 321 studies screened, 26 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included for evaluation in this systematic review.
Results
Of the 26 studies, four were cross-sectional studies, 14 were quasi-experimental studies, and eight were randomized control trials. Physical activity during the workday was measured using self-report surveys and electromechanical devices such as accelerometers. Physical work environments examined by the studies included different types of desks ( n = 16), office arrangements ( n = 5), and building design ( n = 5). In nine studies, office environments and building work environments designed to promote activity using active design principles such as stairs and flexible workspaces were associated with increased physical activity. Sit–stand desks reduced overall sitting time, but had a minimal effect on physical activity.
Conclusion/Application to practice
Offices and buildings designed for activity had the largest impact on physical activity among office workers. To increase physical activity in office workers, focus should be placed on opportunities to increase incidental movement that can increase physical activity throughout the workday. Occupational health nurses should advocate workspace designs that can increase physical activity in workers.
... Respondents were asked to rate their workability on a visual analog scale from 0-100, where 0 was "Not able to work" and 100 was "Best imaginable workability". The scores were then categorized into poor (0-50), moderate (51)(52)(53)(54)(55)(56)(57)(58)(59)(60)(61)(62)(63)(64)(65)(66)(67)(68)(69)(70), good (71-90) and excellent (91-100) workability, as suggested by the original authors [39]. ...
... Standing, in particular, has previously been associated with important health risks, such as cardiovascular problems, MSDs and long-term sick leave [64,66] and have been reported to reduce blood supply to the muscles, accelerating fatigue, discomfort and changing the activity of the muscles as well as postural stability [65,67]. On the other hand, studies have also shown detrimental health effects of prolonged sitting [68] and beneficial effects of sit-stand workstations [69]. In addition to ergonomic exposure to standing/walking, the results in the present study indicated that working with the back bent or twisted was one of the primary predictors for poor workability. ...
Background:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of age, musculoskeletal pain and ergonomic exposure on workability in the oldest group of workers.
Methods:
The study was a population based cross-sectional survey. The study population comprised citizens born between 1952-1966, living in Esbjerg municipality ultimo 2016 (n = 23,463). A questionnaire was sent electronically or by mail. The analysis included the working population only. A stereotype logistic regression was used with the primary dependent variable being workability and independent variables included age, musculoskeletal pain, and ergonomic exposure.
Results:
The response rate was 58% and the data demonstrated a significant negative association between age and workability. With excellent workability as a reference, the odds for poor workability increased by 97% being 60+ y compared to 50-55 y. Both moderate intensity and severe musculoskeletal pain in the back, shoulder and knee/hip all showed significantly higher odds for poor workability. Ergonomic exposures, such as standing/walking, working with back bent or twisted and carrying or lifting had a significant negative impact on workability.
Conclusion:
Age, musculoskeletal pain and ergonomic exposures showed a significant negative impact on workability in the oldest group of workers and should be targeted with preventive initiatives.
... High levels of sedentary time can be associated with poor health, wellbeing and productivity outcomes and indicators [1] with detrimental impacts particularly pronounced in those who are also physically inactive [2,3]. The desk-based workplace has been identified as a key target setting for intervening on prolonged sedentary time [4], with systematic review evidence concluding that interventions addressing prolonged workplace sedentary time can be both effective and acceptable [5][6][7][8][9]. Recent economic analyses have also indicated that reductions in sedentary time, to the levels achieved through workplace interventions, could result in Australian healthcare cost savings of $39 million per year [10]. ...
Background
The online BeUpstanding™ program is an eight-week workplace-delivered intervention for desk-based workers to raise awareness of the benefits of sitting less and moving more and build a supportive culture for change. A workplace representative (the “champion”) delivers the program, which includes a workshop where teams collectively choose their sit less/move more strategies. A toolkit provides the champion with a step-by-step guide and associated resources to support program uptake, delivery, and evaluation. Here we report on the main findings from the Australian national implementation trial of BeUpstanding.
Methods
Recruitment (12/06/2019 to 30/09/2021) was supported by five policy and practice partners, with desk-based work teams from across Australia targeted. Effectiveness was measured via a single arm, repeated-measures trial. Data were collected via online surveys, toolkit analytics, and telephone calls with champions. The RE-AIM framework guided evaluation, with adoption/reach (number and characteristics); effectiveness (primary: self-reported workplace sitting time); implementation (completion of core components; costs); and, maintenance intentions reported here. Linear mixed models, correcting for cluster, were used for effectiveness, with reach, adoption, implementation, and maintenance outcomes described.
Results
Of the 1640 website users who signed-up to BeUpstanding during the recruitment period, 233 were eligible, 198 (85%) provided preliminary consent, and 118 (50.6%) champions consented and started the trial, with 94% (n = 111 champions) completing. Trial participation was from across Australia and across industries, and reached 2,761 staff, with 2,248 participating in the staff survey(s): 65% female; 64% university educated; 17% from a non-English speaking background. The program effectively changed workplace sitting (-38.5 [95%CI -46.0 to -28.7] minutes/8-hour workday) and all outcomes targeted by BeUpstanding (behaviours and culture), with small-to-moderate statistically-significant effects observed. All participating teams (n = 94) completed at least 5/7 core steps; 72.4% completed all seven. Most champions spent 0-$5 (10%) per team member; most (67/70 96%) intended to continue or repeat the program.
Conclusions
BeUpstanding can be adopted and successfully implemented by a range of workplaces, reach a diversity of staff, and be effective at creating a supportive culture for teams of desk-based workers to sit less and move more. Learnings will inform optimisation of the program for longer-term sustainability.
Trial registration
ACTRN12617000682347.
... The most impactful interventions for changing sitting time may be those that target environments where people spend a majority of their time sitting, including work sites, K-12 schools, and universities. Among proposed environmental interventions, replacing traditional desks with standing or adjustable height workstations has been studied primarily in worksite and K-12 school settings (for reviews, see MacEwen et al., 2015;Minges et al., 2016;Sherry et al., 2016). ...
Hebert, E., Watts, H., Green, R., & Bryan, C. (2024). Reducing sitting among college students by promoting standing workstations in hallways: A pilot feasibility study. Journal of Health and Physical Literacy, 3(1), 1-16. https://johpl.org/index.php/johpl/article/view/24
Purpose: Strategies to reduce sitting include the use of standing workstations, yet little research has explored their feasibility in college settings. The purpose of this study was to describe student use and perceptions of hallway standing workstations. Methods: Standing workstations were installed in a hallway near classrooms; email and infographic posters encourage students to use them between classes. Data on use of the stations was collected for eight weeks via a QR-directed login. Students who logged use of the stations were sent a follow-up survey on duration of station use and attitudes regarding standing stations on campus. Results: Logged use of the stations averaged 14.75 frequencies per week, primarily between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Slightly over 12% of students enrolled in nearby classes logged use of the stations at least once. Post-study survey responses indicated typical station use length was 15 to 45 minutes, and 95% of users liked the stations and desired more across campus. Conclusion: Creating standing workstations in hallways was an inexpensive and space-efficient strategy to change the university environment to create opportunities to reduce sitting behavior. Combined with email and visual prompts, many students chose to stand and engage in work between classes.
... Medical practitioners and public health officials can advise on interventions that focus on reducing screen time and sedentary behaviors, such as breaking up sitting time and incorporating light activities into daily routines, in addition to increasing MVPA. For example, standing and treadmill desks have shown to decrease sitting time in offices and classrooms (MacEwen et al., 2014). Future studies are needed to inform public health guidelines to reduce sedentary behaviors and assess the impact of reducing sedentary behaviors on biomarkers of inflammation and insulin resistance. ...
Sedentary behavior (SB) has been linked to risk factors of cardiometabolic disease, with inconsistent findings reported in the literature. We aimed to assess the associations of SB with multiple biomarkers of inflammation and insulin resistance in adults. Domain-specific SB, sitting time and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were measured in 78 adults (mean ± SD 52.0 ± 10.8 y). Body fat percentage (BF%) was assessed using multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance. A blood draw assessed glucose, insulin, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), leptin, and adiponectin. Adiponectin-leptin ratio (ALR), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and beta-cell function (HOMA-β) were calculated. Multivariable linear regression analyses, controlling for age, sex, MVPA, and BF%, were used to assess associations. After adjustment for age, sex and MVPA, total SB (7.5 ± 2.5 h/day) was positively associated with leptin, insulin, HOMA-IR, HOMA-β (Standardized Beta (β) range 0.21–0.32) and negatively associated with ALR (β = -0.24, p < 0.05 for all). Similarly, total sitting time (7.2 ± 2.9 h/day) was associated with TNF-α (β = 0.22) and ALR (β = -0.26). These associations were attenuated to non-significance after adjustment for BF%. Leisure screen time was detrimentally associated with IL-6 (β = 0.24), leptin (β = 0.21), insulin (β = 0.37), HOMA-IR (β = 0.37), and HOMA-β (β = 0.34), independent of age, sex and MVPA (p < 0.05 for all). Only the associations with insulin (β = 0.26), HOMA-IR (β = 0.26), and HOMA-β (β = 0.23) remained significant after further controlling BF% (p < 0.05). Self-reported SB is associated with biomarkers of inflammation and insulin resistance, independent of MVPA, and in some cases BF%.
... pre-term birth and spontaneous abortion) (Waters and Dick 2015). On the other hand, the appropriate use of ssWs has been found to be effective in increasing postural variability and decreasing short-term low back discomfort (agarwal, steinmaus, and harris-adamson 2018; Ognibene et al. 2016), while long-term use of ssWs (greater than 3 months) has shown benefits for some cardio-metabolic risk indicators (alkhajah et al. 2012; healy et al. 2013), without negatively impacting productivity (chu et al. 2016;Gao et al. 2018;Macewen, MacDonald, and Burr 2015;Peterman et al. 2019). ...
The 'Sit-Stand e-Guide' e-training program, designed to promote appropriate use of sit-stand workstations (SSWs), was evaluated for usability, acceptability and impact on various outcomes among SSW users. Participants from a large municipal organisation (25% male; mean age 45 [SD = 10.6] years) completed questionnaires pre-training (T0, n = 57), immediately post-training (T1, n = 50), and four weeks (T2, n = 46: primary endpoint) and twelve months later (T3, n = 30). High usability, acceptability and usefulness scores were reported at T1. Median [IQR] knowledge (4.4/5 [0.9]) and confidence (4.6/5 [1.0]) significantly increased at T1 compared to baseline (2.8 [1.2]; 3.3 [1.4]) and maintained at T2 and T3. At T2, mean [SD] sitting time (5.3 [1.2] h/workday) and low back discomfort (2.4 [2.3]) significantly decreased compared to baseline (6.1 [1.3] h; 3.4 [2.5] discomfort), SSW usage increased (1.4 [1.4]-2.8 [1.7] transitions), with no significant changes in work performance. Some behavioural changes were sustained at T3. The Sit-Stand e-Guide was acceptable and effective; evaluation across diverse workplaces and workers is now needed.
... There are other means available to incorporate more vigorous activity while working, including walking treadmill desks and bicycle desks. This more active type of intervention can interfere with cognitive, typing and mousing activities (Commissaris et al., 2014;Funk et al., 2012) but has many physiological benefits when alternated with sitting throughout the day (Beers et al., 2008;Cox et al., 2011;MacEwen et al., 2015). ...
... Zhu et al. [65] conducted a literature review showing that treadmill desks and other physical implementations in the workplace can lead to reductions in sedentary behavior and increased physical activity. Studies indicated that standing, under cycling, and treadmill desks are potentially helpful in decreasing workplace sedentary time while positively impacting stress and general mood [28,46] without reducing productivity [34]. Moderate-intensity exercise performed on a cycling workstation during simulated office tasks has been shown to increase activity without increasing the error rate, but it does increase task execution time [40]. ...
Sedentary behavior is endemic in modern workplaces, contributing to negative physical and mental health outcomes. Although adjustable standing desks are increasing in popularity, people still avoid standing. We developed an open-source plug-and-play system to remotely control standing desks and investigated three system modes with a three-week in-the-wild user study (=15). Interval mode forces users to stand once per hour, causing frustration. Adaptive mode nudges users to stand every hour unless the user has stood already. Smart mode, which raises the desk during breaks, was the best rated, contributing to increased standing time with the most positive qualitative feedback. However, non-computer activities need to be accounted for in the future. Therefore, our results indicate that a smart standing desk that shifts modes at opportune times has the most potential to reduce sedentary behavior in the workplace. We contribute our open-source system and insights for future intelligent workplace well-being systems.
... Whether or not all decrease in occupational physical activity is related with increased sedentary time in work, it is important to acknowledge that the amount of sedentary time at work contributes largely to the total daily sedentary time of working adults (Clemes et al. 2014;Prince et al. 2019). To combat sedentariness of work even if the physical strain otherwise is reduced, strategies such as standing and treadmill desks could be considered more routinely (Shrestha et al. 2018;MacEwen et al. 2014). ...
Aim
Population-based projections of sitting and physical activity (PA) help to guide PA programs. We aimed to project total and context specific sitting and PA until year 2028 in adults aged 46–74 years in Finland.
Subject and methods
The population based DILGOM Study in 2007 and 2014 provided longitudinal data on self-reported weekday sitting in five contexts (work, vehicle, at home in front of TV, at home by computer, elsewhere), total sitting, and PA in three domains (occupational, commuting and leisure time). Projections until 2028 were generated using a Markovian multistate model and multiple imputation techniques by gender, age and education.
Results
Total weekday sitting was projected to increase until 2028 only in the 64–74-year-olds and the low educated (+ 24 and + 32 min/day, p < 0.05, respectively). Sitting at home by computer was projected to increase on average 30 min/weekday (p < 0.05) and occupational PA decrease by 8 to 20%-units (p < 0.05) in all midlife and older adults. Further, sitting at home by TV and sitting elsewhere were projected to decrease in many, although not all groups.
Conclusion
Projected changes suggest increase in sitting by computer and decrease in occupational PA, which indicate the growing importance of leisure-time as the potential mean to increase PA.
... Therefore, MSDs are an increasingly crucial work-related health issue in contemporary workplaces. Although, as some suggest, eliminating the necessity of sitting down would be better for human health [5], [6] it is obvious that it is inevitable to take measures such as correcting sitting postures and not sitting for a long time working. An intelligent workplace environment with an automatic sitting posture tracking system is presented as a potential solution to save the high cost of health problems. ...
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are generally associated with sitting postures. Assessing and ensuring healthy sitting posture are indispensable aspects of reducing the occurrence of MSDs. This study aims to develop a system that allows office workers' body postures to be contactless and recognized by different classification methods while sitting on a chair and can be used for health applications. Five different sitting body postures have been determined within the scope of medical and health literature studies and relevant standards. Thirty subjects were asked to sit in these body postures for 30 seconds. While the subjects were sitting, skeleton point position defined as a pose data of the subjects were obtained from the Kinect device simultaneously. Five angles that are thought to distinguish sitting positions according to different joint positions were determined and calculated. The angle values that can take in the standard sitting position in the literature have been determined. According to these values, the angle values in other postures were determined. A rule-based fuzzy inference system was designed using angle values for labeling sitting posture data. Angle values were calculated to classify the labeled depth values, and an artificial neural network classifier was designed according to these angle values. As a result, five different sitting body postures were classified with KNN (K-Nearest Neighbours) and Neural Network (NN), respectively, with 98.9% and 97% overall accuracy values. The study was compared with other studies in the literature. In this context, a high-performance system design that can improve healthy sitting behaviors for office workers that can be used in both health applications and robot vision is presented.
... Multicomponent interventions may primarily reduce occupational sitting and occupational prolonged sitting time and increase occupational standing time by promoting the use of sit-stand workstations among office workers in their environmental strategies through individual and organizational strategies. The provision of a sit-stand workstation permits continued work at a computer while standing as opposed to encouraging regular ambulation [43]. Therefore, sit-stand workstation installation may be required to significantly reduce occupational sitting time. ...
Background
Sedentary time in workplaces has been linked to increased risks of chronic occupational diseases, obesity, and overall mortality. Currently, there is a burgeoning research interest in the implementation of multicomponent interventions aimed at decreasing sedentary time among office workers, which encompass a comprehensive amalgamation of individual, organizational, and environmental strategies.
Objective
This meta-analysis aims at evaluating the effectiveness of multicomponent interventions to mitigate occupational sedentary behavior at work compared with no intervention.
Methods
PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were searched from database inception until March 2023 to obtain randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the efficacy of multicomponent interventions on occupational sedentary behavior among office-based workers. Two reviewers independently extracted the data and assessed the risk of bias by using the Cochrane Collaboration’s risk of bias tool. The average intervention effect on sedentary time was calculated using Stata 15.1. Mean differences (MDs) with 95% CIs were used to calculate the continuous variables. Subgroup analyses were performed to determine whether sit-stand workstation, feedback, and prompt elements played an important role in multicomponent interventions. Further, the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) system was used to evaluate the certainty of evidence.
ResultsA total of 11 RCTs involving 1894 patients were included in the analysis. Five studies were rated as low risk of bias, 2 as unclear risk of bias, and 4 as high risk. The meta-analysis results showed that compared with no intervention, multicomponent interventions significantly reduced occupational sitting time (MD=–52.25 min/8-h workday, 95% CI –73.06 to –31.44; P
... One potential solution is the introduction of sit-stand desks in the workplace. Although scientific evidence is limited on this topic, sit-stand desks seem to reduce SB among office workers [76,77] and consequently they may improve worker's health, without compromising productivity and concentration [76,78]. ...
Background Sedentary behavior (SB) has been linked to several negative health outcomes. Therefore, reducing SB or breaking up prolonged periods of SB improves functional fitness, food consumption, job satisfaction, and productivity. Reducing SB can be achieved by introducing a health-enhancing contextual modification promoted by a sit-stand desk in the workplace. The primary goal will be to test the effectiveness of this intervention in reducing and breaking up SB, while improving health outcomes in office-based workers during a 6-month intervention.
Methods A two-arm (1:1), superiority parallel-group cluster RCT will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention in a sample of office-based workers from a university in Portugal. The intervention will consist of a psychoeducational session, motivational prompts, and contextual modification promoted by a sit-stand desk in the workplace for 6 months. The control group will work as usual in their workplace, with no contextual change or prompts during the 6-month intervention. Three assessment points will be conducted in both groups, pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention, and a 3-month follow-up. The primary outcomes include sedentary and physical activity-related variables, which will be objectively assessed with 24 h monitoring using the ActivPAL for 7 days. The secondary outcomes include (a) biometric indices as body composition, body mass index, waist circumference, and postural inequalities; and (b) psychosocial variables such as overall and work-related fatigue, overall discomfort, life/ work satisfaction, quality of life, and eating behavior. Both the primary and secondary outcomes will be assessed at each assessment point.
Discussion This study will lean on the use of a sit-stand workstation for 6 months, prompted by an initial psychoeducational session and ongoing motivational prompts. We will aim to contribute to this topic by providing robust data on alternating sitting and standing postures in the workplace.
... One potential solution is the introduction of sit-stand desks in the workplace. Although scientific evidence is limited on this topic, sit-stand desks seem to reduce SB among office workers [76,77] and consequently they may improve worker's health, without compromising productivity and concentration [76,78]. ...
Background
Sedentary behavior (SB) has been linked to several negative health outcomes. Therefore, reducing SB or breaking up prolonged periods of SB improves functional fitness, food consumption, job satisfaction, and productivity. Reducing SB can be achieved by introducing a health-enhancing contextual modification promoted by a sit-stand desk in the workplace. The primary goal will be to test the effectiveness of this intervention in reducing and breaking up SB, while improving health outcomes in office-based workers during a 6-month intervention.
Methods
A two-arm (1:1), superiority parallel-group cluster RCT will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention in a sample of office-based workers from a university in Portugal. The intervention will consist of a psychoeducation session, motivational prompts, and contextual modification promoted by a sit-stand desk in the workplace for 6 months. The control group will work as usual in their workplace, with no contextual change or prompts during the 6-month intervention. Three assessment points will be conducted in both groups, pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention, and a 3-month follow-up. The primary outcomes include sedentary and physical activity-related variables, which will be objectively assessed with 24 h monitoring using the ActivPAL for 7 days. The secondary outcomes include (a) biometric indices as body composition, body mass index, waist circumference, and postural inequalities; and (b) psychosocial variables such as overall and work-related fatigue, overall discomfort, life/work satisfaction, quality of life, and eating behavior. Both the primary and secondary outcomes will be assessed at each assessment point.
Discussion
This study will lean on the use of a sit-stand workstation for 6 months, prompted by an initial psychoeducational session and ongoing motivational prompts. We will aim to contribute to this topic by providing robust data on alternating sitting and standing postures in the workplace.
Trial registration
The trial was prospectively registered, and the details are at: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/JHGPW; Registered 15 November 2022. OSF Preregistration.
... Zhu et al. [65] conducted a literature review showing that treadmill desks and other physical implementations in the workplace can lead to reductions in sedentary behavior and increased physical activity. Studies indicated that standing, under cycling, and treadmill desks are potentially helpful in decreasing workplace sedentary time while positively impacting stress and general mood [28,46] without reducing productivity [34]. Moderate-intensity exercise performed on a cycling workstation during simulated office tasks has been shown to increase activity without increasing the error rate, but it does increase task execution time [40]. ...
Sedentary behavior is endemic in modern workplaces, contributing to negative physical and mental health outcomes. Although adjustable standing desks are increasing in popularity, people still avoid standing. We developed an open-source plug-and-play system to remotely control standing desks and investigated three system modes with a three-week in-the-wild user study (𝑁 =15). Interval mode forces users to stand once per hour, causing frustration. Adaptive mode nudges users to stand every hour unless the user has stood already. Smart mode, which raises the desk during breaks, was the best rated, contributing to increased standing time with the most positive qualitative feedback. However, non-computer activities need to be accounted for in the future. Therefore, our results indicate that a smart standing desk that shifts modes at opportune times has the most potential to reduce sedentary behavior in the workplace. We contribute our open-source system and insights for future intelligent workplace well-being systems.
... One potential solution is the introduction of sit-stand desks in the workplace. Although scienti c evidence is limited on this topic, sit-stand desks seem to reduce SB among o ce workers (55, 56) and consequently they may improve worker's health, without compromising productivity and concentration (55,57). This paper describes the protocol of the SUFHA, a study designed to assess the effectiveness of a 6month sit-stand desk workplace intervention offered to university staff, to reduce prolonged sitting and increase standing and interruptions in sitting time. ...
Background
Sedentary behavior (SB) has been linked to several negative health outcomes. Therefore, reducing SB or breaking-up prolonged periods of SB improves functional fitness, food consumption, job satisfaction and productivity. Reducing SB can be achieved by introducing a health-enhancing contextual modification promoted by a sit-stand desk in the workplace. The primary goal will be to test the effectiveness of this intervention in reducing and breaking-up SB, while improving health outcomes in office-based workers during a 6-month intervention.
Methods
A two-arm (1:1), superiority parallel-group cluster RCT will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention in a sample of office-based workers from a university in Portugal. The intervention will consist of a psychoeducation session, motivational prompts, and contextual modification promoted by a sit-stand desk in the workplace for 6 months. The control group will work as usual in their workplace, with no contextual change or prompts during the 6-month intervention. Three assessment points will be conducted in both groups, pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention, and a 3-month follow-up. The primary outcomes include sedentary and physical activity-related variables, which will be objectively assessed with 24h monitoring using the ActivPAL for 7 days. The secondary outcomes include a) biometric indices as body composition, body mass index, waist circumference and postural inequalities; and b) psychosocial variables such as overall and work-related fatigue, overall discomfort, life/work satisfaction, quality of life, and eating behavior. Both the primary and secondary outcomes will be assessed at each assessment point.
Discussion
This study will lean on the use of a sit-stand workstation for 6 months, prompted by an initial psychoeducational session and ongoing motivational prompts. We will aim to contribute to this topic by providing robust data on alternating sitting and standing postures in the workplace.
Trial registration: The trial was prospectively registered, and the details are at: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/JHGPW; Registered 15 November 2022. OSF Preregistration.
... La majorité des études ayant étudié les performances au travail liées à l'utilisation de bureau debout n'a pas observé d'altération cognitive comparée au bureau assis. De plus, ces observations présentent des résultats similaires sur des tâches motrices, telles que l'utilisation de clavier et de souris (Dupont et al., 2019;MacEwen et al., 2015). Des résultats contradictoires sur la mémorisation à court terme ont été observés sur les études évaluant les effets de tapis-bureau (Ojo et al., 2018). ...
Les transformations sociétales menées par les diverses révolutions techniques et technologiques ont entraîné une réduction inéluctable du temps consacré aux activités physiques au profit des comportements sédentaires. Symbole de ces nouvelles caractéristiques comportementales, le domaine professionnel, de surcroît le secteur tertiaire, a émergé comme le milieu représentant ces nouveaux comportements du mouvement au sein de la population et des stratégies ont émergé pour lutter contre cette évolution délétère. L’objectif de ce travail de thèse était de questionner l’intérêt de l’utilisation de pédalier de bureau afin d’améliorer la santé globale d’individus travaillant dans le secteur tertiaire. Dans ce contexte, ce travail doctoral a permis le développement d’un protocole expérimental implémentant un pédalier de bureau auprès de salariés ayant un travail assis. Sa mise en place a permis d’observer les effets de l’utilisation de cette stratégie active pour améliorer différents paramètres cardiométaboliques et les comportements du mouvement humain auprès de cette population. De plus, une exploration de deux profils énergétiques lors de l’utilisation d’un pédalier de bureau a permis de caractériser des paramètres métaboliques spécifiques liés à ces profils. Nos résultats ont clairement mis en avant les bénéfices sur la santé globale de travailleurs liés à la pratique de pédalier de bureau durant le temps professionnel. Nos travaux ouvrent ainsi de nouvelles perspectives dans la compréhension liée à l’implémentation et à l’utilisation de pédalier de bureau dans le milieu professionnel.
... Systems that promote physically active ways of working (as compared to very common break prompting interventions) have traditionally been designed as standing desks or treadmill desks [37]. While the latter can be efective in increasing physiological results [21], Tobiasson et al. [36] note that this equipment often goes unused, and that movement feels superfcial when not included in the work activities. This is in line with Damen et al. [4], who argue that future research on healthy ofce environments should focus on the meaningful integration of physical activity into work tasks, and the smooth integration in the existing ofce infrastructure in order to increase the acceptance and adoption of such new technologies. ...
... Since the introduction of standing desks, otherwise known as active workstations (MacEwen et al., 2015;Torbeyns et al., 2014), there has been ongoing debate regarding whether standing can positively influence an individual's cognitive performance relative to sitting (Caron et al., 2020;Rosenbaum et al., 2017Rosenbaum et al., /2018Smith et al., 2019;Straub et al., 2022). Recent work on this topic finds its roots in the theoretical framework of embodied cognition, which maintains that cognitive processes are best understood in terms of contextualized interactions among the body, brain, and environment (Matheson & Barsalou, 2018). ...
Smith et al. (2019) found standing resulted in better performance than sitting in three different cognitive control paradigms: a Stroop task, a task-switching, and a visual search paradigm. Here, we conducted close replications of the authors’ three experiments using larger sample sizes than the original work. Our sample sizes had essentially perfect power to detect the key postural effects reported by Smith et al. The results from our experiments revealed that, in contrast to Smith et al., the postural interactions were quite limited in magnitude in addition to being only a fraction of the size of the original effects. Moreover, our results from Experiment 1 are consistent with two recent replications (Caron et al., 2020; Straub et al., 2022), which reported no meaningful influences of posture on the Stroop effect. In all, the current research provides further converging evidence that postural influences on cognition do not appear to be as robust, as was initially reported in prior work.
... In a recent randomizedcontrolled trial examining the long-term effects of active workstations, employees using a treadmill desk engaged in fewer daily sedentary bouts at the workplace when compared to a sit-to-stand desk group and a control group at 12 months (Arguello et al., 2021). Furthermore, reviews of the active workstation literature have revealed that treadmill desks increase energy expenditure more than other types of active workstations (Tudor-Locke et al., 2014) and are associated with greater physiological benefits than a standing desk (MacEwen et al., 2015). In a sample of physicians, treadmill desk walking led to weight loss and reduced body fat when compared to not using a treadmill desk (Thompson et al., 2014). ...
Unlabelled:
Previous research has established the physical and mental benefits of using active workstations like treadmill desks in the workplace, such as reducing sedentary behavior and improving mood. However, treadmill desk use when working at home has not been examined despite significant increases in working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the objectives of this study were (1) to be the first to describe how treadmill desks are used when working from home and (2) to describe perceived benefits, motivators, and barriers for treadmill desk use when working from home. Twenty participants who worked from home and used a treadmill desk were interviewed between February 2022 and April 2022. Participants reported using their treadmill desks while completing a variety of work and non-work tasks and experienced physical, mental, social, and work-related perceived benefits. Motivators for use included desires to reduce prolonged sitting and be more active, wanting to be healthier and fitter, tracking and reaching goals like daily step counts, feeling good during use, and to overcome increased sedentary behavior due to working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Barriers to use included the type of work being done, physical limitations, accessibility issues, social concerns, and mental barriers. Future research should investigate ways to increase treadmill desk use at home by capitalizing on motivating factors and reducing barriers to use.
Supplementary information:
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41542-023-00144-0.
... Additionally, the typical US adult has the freedom to choose what foods they consume and does not have body composition or aesthetic expectations with which they need to concern themselves. Although many US adults may work in occupations that require working at a computer station for 40 hours per week, standing desks are commonly offered by employers to reduce sitting time [16]. Thus, the purpose of this multi-study analysis was to examine whether grit would be associated with PA, sitting time and dietary behavior in other unique populations. ...
Engaging in physical activity (PA), minimizing sitting time and consuming a healthy diet are behaviors associated with health and wellness across the lifespan. The present multi-study analysis examined the relationship between grit and PA, sitting time and dietary behaviors in several populations that included US adults, active-duty military personnel, veterans, college students and performing artists. The four research laboratories administered an internet-based survey between spring and summer of 2020. The common questionnaires on the surveys were the Grit Scale Short Form, International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form and the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants Short Form. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between grit, PA, sitting time and dietary behaviors. PA was associated with grit for US adults, civilians and college students but not for performing artists or active-duty military populations. Sitting time was associated with grit for US adults and active-duty military personnel. US adults, college students and performing artists were found to have a positive association between healthy dietary behaviors and grit. Overall, the findings indicate that grit has a positive influence on PA, sitting time and dietary behaviors across the unique populations; however, the relationships indicate some nuanced differences between the populations.
... [20] Evidence is inconsistent regarding productivity, one demonstrating that job performance was not hindered by standing work. [26] The present study's findings observed that participants viewed the standing position as better for overall job performance compared to the seated position. These data illustrate that in the context of the office environment, tasks conducted in the standing position could also have varying influence on deliverables, depending on the task characteristics, duration allocated for task completion, and the expectations of line management. ...
Background:
Data from empirical investigations on the feasibility and acceptability of using sit-stand desks in an office-based setting in low- and middle-income settings are limited.
Objectives:
To explore the perceptions of South African office workers towards using height-adjustable sit-stand desks to reduce sitting time during vocational hours.
Methods:
Self-reported sedentary behaviour and in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted in December 2020. Thematic content analysis approach was used to develop themes.
Results:
Eleven office workers with a work-time sitting time of 8 (6-8) hours were interviewed (age 40.5 ± 12.6 years), most (91%) were female. The main themes emerged and included: overall impressions of the height-adjustable sit-stand desks; enablers versus barriers to using the desk and readiness to continue using sit-stand desks.
Conclusion:
The findings of this research add to the evidence on environmental workstation modifications for reducing sedentary behaviour. Further investigations on the efficacy of sit-stand desks are recommended in South African university office workers.
... The measurement and reporting of sedentary breaks include both 'sit to stand transitions' and 'movement breaks', highlighting the need to differentiate breaks that include movement from those that do not, to enhance understanding of the independent impact of each. Although breaking sitting time by standing improves glycaemic control, cardiometabolic markers and blood pressure in the short term [55,56], replacing sitting with stepping is recommended to meaningfully affect energy expenditure, waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) [57]. Movement breaks are likely to better impact health [58], and reporting these breaks will advance our understanding and inform future intervention design and recommendations to alleviate the negative health consequences of prolonged sedentary behaviour. ...
Heterogeneity of descriptors and outcomes measured and reported in sedentary behaviour (SB) research hinder the meta-analysis of data and accumulation of evidence. The objective of the Core Research Outcomes for Sedentary Behaviour Interventions (CROSBI) consensus study was to identify and validate, a core outcome set (COS) to report (what, how, when to measure) in interventional sedentary behaviour studies. Outcomes, extracted from a systematic literature review, were categorized into domains and data items (COS v0.0). International experts (n = 5) provided feedback and identified additional items, which were incorporated into COS v0.1. A two round online Delphi survey was conducted to seek consensus from a wider stakeholder group and outcomes that achieved consensus in the second round COS (v0.2), were ratified by the expert panel. The final COS (v1.0) contains 53 data items across 12 domains, relating to demographics, device details, wear-time criteria, wear-time measures, posture-related measures, sedentary breaks, sedentary bouts and physical activity. Notably, results indicate that sedentary behaviour outcomes should be measured by devices that include an inclinometry or postural function. The proposed standardised COS is available openly to enhance the accumulation of pooled evidence in future sedentary behaviour intervention research and practice.
... Aus präventiver Sicht sollten demzufolge längere Sitzzeiten am Büroarbeitsplatz durch Verhaltensänderungen (Dunstan et al. 2013;Gardner et al. 2017;Shrestha et al. 2016) sowie durch verhältnispräventive Büroausstattung, wie beispielsweise körperliche aktivitätszulassende Arbeitsplätze (u. a. höhenverstellbare Schreibtische, Laufbandschreibtische etc.) reduziert werden (MacEwen et al. 2015;Neuhaus et al. 2014;Shrestha et al. 2016;Torbeyns et al. 2014). ...
Exercise performance and heat stress among workers in paper industry Background and Aim: Heat is a daily component of stress among industrial workers. The World Health Organisation (WHO) sets reference values for the upper limit of tolerance when working in hot and humid conditions at a heart rate (HR) of 110 bpm, irrespective of age and capacity. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of age and exercise performance when working in hot conditions in the paper industry with reference to current limit values. Methods: 187 male employees (age: 36.4 ± 9 yrs, height: 177 ± 6 cm, weight: 82.5 ± 12 kg) from seven paper-producing companies participated in the project. The employees‘ exercise performance was determined by an incremental submaximal cycle-ergometer test measuring heart rate (HR), oxygen uptake (VO2) and power output (P). Maximal values (VO2max, Pmax) were calculated. HR was measured for 8 hours (h) during 817 work shifts approximating to 6000 h. Results: The average HR during 8-hour shifts was 93 ± 11 bpm and was significantly below the WHO limit of 110 bpm. However, when performing specific tasks due to disruptions in the production process some employees showed an elevated HR of up to a maximum of 142 ± 17 bpm for a short time (33.8 ± 22 min) due to working in heat at 55 ± 15 °C wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and 10–60 % humidity. There was a significant correlation between the age and fitness of the employees and task-specific increases in HR. Conclusions: It can be stated that short-term heat exposure may lead to significant strain exceeding the tolerance limits. On the whole, however, a higher level of performance decreases the overall work-related strain on employees and results in a lower number of HR increases above the limits. Keywords: heart rate – industrial work – oxygen uptake – safety recommendations – environmental conditions
... Prolonged time spent seated increases chronic health conditions whereas a frequent adoption of a standing posture is associated with positive physical and mental health consequences (Katzmarzyk et al., 2009;Thorp et al., 2014;Zeigler et al., 2016, for a review see MacEwen et al., 2015). However, whether standing compared to sitting can also improve specific cognitive processes (e.g., resolution of cognitive conflict) is an active area of research. ...
Standing compared to sitting, for instance at work, is associated with positive physical and mental health consequences. Indeed, studies suggest that performance in cognitive conflict tasks (e.g., Color Stroop tasks) is improved when subjects perform the task while standing compared to sitting (Rosenbaum et al., 2018; Smith et al., 2019). However, a recent study failed to replicate these findings in five attempts (Caron et al., 2020). We aimed to shed light on these discrepant results by means of two conceptual replications and a meta-analysis. Replication experiments showed typical congruency effects in the Color Stroop task, but failed to find any influence of posture on the Stroop effect even when we subjected data to a more sensitive analysis that controlled for individual variances between participants. Additionally, an explorative Bayesian analysis confirmed that both replications provided strong evidence against an interaction between body posture and the Stroop effect. Meta-analytic results showed that the confidence interval of the overall effect size for a modulation of the Stroop effect by body posture includes the null. Together, our results question whether standing modulates the Stroop effect in Color Stroop tasks and points out limitations of the influence of body posture on cognitive control tasks.
... The most frequently studied initiative has been the introduction of a sitstand table (SST). While the main purpose of this intervention is to reduce time in sitting (Chambers, Robertson, and Baker 2019;Commissaris et al. 2016;Josaphat et al. 2019;MacEwen, MacDonald, and Burr 2015;Neuhaus et al. 2014;Shrestha et al. 2018), both field and laboratory studies suggest that shifting between sitting and standing CW, using the SST, may result in increased variation in upper extremity postures (Barbieri et al. 2019;Davis and Kotowski 2014;Lin, Barbir, and Dennerlein 2017). The complementary effects on upper extremity and shoulder muscle activity have been evaluated only in laboratory studies (Babski-Reeves and Calhoun 2016; Bao and Lin 2018;Lin et al. 2014;Lin, Barbir, and Dennerlein 2017). ...
The effect on muscle activity variation of combining different office tasks is not known. We recorded electromyography from the upper trapezius (UT), wrist extensor (WE) and lumbar erector spinae (LES) in 24 office workers during five productive tasks, and breaks. Minute-to-minute variance was then estimated, by simulations, in a reference ‘job’ consisting of 85% sitting computer work and 15% breaks, and in ‘jobs’ where sitting computer work was replaced by different proportions of the other office tasks and breaks. Replacing sitting computer work with sitting non-computer work increased estimated variance by, in median, 23% (UT), 19% (WE) and 0% (LES). Replacing it by other tasks, in particular standing computer work and non-desk work, was less effective in increasing variance. Thus, some combinations of office tasks have a slight potential to increase muscle activity variation in the shoulder and lower arm, but not the lumbar back, while others will be ineffective.
Practitioner Summary: The need for exposure variation is often emphasized in office ergonomics. We estimated the effect on muscle activity in the shoulder, forearm and lumbar back of combining sitting computer work with other available tasks and breaks, finding that introduction of sitting non-computer tasks and non-desk work slightly increased variation; other tasks were essentially non-effective.
... While seated learning is a traditional practice in much of the world, this mode of learning has recently been challenged through the introduction of standing desks 6) . Standing desks refer to fixed-position, height-adjustable or movable workstations that allow students to spend more time in an upright position with higher energy expenditure 7) . This trend has been driven by international public health researchers and educators who have identified increases in childhood obesity, chronic disease risk and reduced fitness levels in many countries 4,8,9) . ...
Standing desks have the potential to improve educational and health outcomes in elementary schools, yet limited intervention studies have been undertaken using mixed methods approaches or in Asian countries. The aim of this research was to elucidate the subjective experiences and objective effects of standing desk use in a Japanese elementary school. Respondents in the intervention included a class of 22 year six students and their teacher at a public elementary school in Nagano, Japan. Standing desks were implemented in the classroom for nine months. Subjective focus group and interview data were generated on two occasions during the intervention period to facilitate data saturation. Objective accelerometry data were used to record active and sedentary behaviour before and during the intervention. Focus group and interview data highlighted positive physical and educational effects, including perceived improvements in endurance and posture, self-expression, peer interaction, and reduced state anxiety. These data also revealed concerns about age-appropriateness and practicality of implementation in a conservative education system. Accelerometry findings showed significant changes in moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity during both school and non-school hours. Standing desks provide a practical approach for modernizing Japanese elementary education, which may hold benefits across both health and education. Follow-up multi-site randomized controlled interventions and comparisons of teacher style and philosophy in standing desk classrooms are recommended to confirm and expand the present findings.
... The purpose of the current study was to extend the existing literature examining the impact of active workstations on employee sedentariness and occupational health outcomes (e.g., vigor, mood, attention, somatic symptoms). Existing research has primarily explored performance, energy expenditure, physiological health markers, and sedentariness as outcomes (e.g., see Cao et al., 2016;MacEwen et al., 2015;Torbeyns et al., 2014), but few studies had examined occupational health outcomes among an employed sample. ...
Evidence suggests that many employees spend most of their day sitting at their desk while using a computer workstation. Such sedentary behavior is linked with obesity, heart disease, and reduced arousal and mood. The current study aimed to expand existing research on the benefits of an active workstation for reducing sedentary time at work and improving employee occupational health outcomes. We conducted a within-subjects experiment in which 25 university employees used a treadmill workstation for an hour on three workdays and worked at their desk as usual for three additional workdays (with the order of conditions counterbalanced). At the end of each workday, participants completed measures of vigor, inattention, mood, job satisfaction, self-perceived performance, and physical health symptoms. We also gathered step count through pedometers that participants wore throughout the day. Results indicated that participants reported significantly higher levels of physical, cognitive, and emotional vigor and positive affect, and lower levels of negative affect and inattention on days when they used the treadmill workstation than on days when they worked at their desk as usual. However, we found no significant differences in job satisfaction, physical symptoms, nor self-perceived performance. We found that participants walked an average of 4500 more steps (~ 2 miles) on days when they used the treadmill workstation as compared to their desk as usual. These findings suggest that using a treadmill workstation may have beneficial effects on employee well-being and physical activity while not detracting from performance.
... Implementation of treadmills or cycling desks remains limited due to their high cost, large size and their lack of practicality for some population [25,114]. Standing desk has not been shown to be a very efficient strategy as it may increase musculoskeletal risk [115] and venous insufficiency [116] without any change in energy expenditure [117]. The strength of the present study is the use of PPM device. ...
Background
Sedentary behaviour (SB) and low levels of physical activity (PA) are predictors of morbidity and mortality. Tertiary employees spend a considerable amount of their daily time seated and new efficient strategies to both reduce sedentary time and increase physical activity are needed. In that context, the REMOVE study aims at evaluating the health effects of a 24-week cycling desk intervention among office workers.
Methods
A prospective, open-label, multicentre, two-arm parallel, randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted in office-sitting desk workers. Office workers (N = 80) who have 0.8 full time equivalent hours (FTE) and 75% of this time in a sitting position will be recruited from tertiary worksites in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Subjects will be randomly assigned to one of the two following interventions: (i) PPM6: performance of two 30 min of cycling desk (using portable pedal exercise machine—PPM) per working day for 6 months or (ii) CTL_PPM3: 3 months with no intervention (control) followed by 3 months during which workers will be asked to complete two 30 min of PPM per working day. At baseline (T0), at 3 months (T1) and at 6 months (T2) after the start of the interventions, primary outcomes; 7-day PA and SB (3D-accelerometers), secondary outcomes; body composition (bioelectrical impedance), physical fitness (aerobic fitness, upper and lower limb strength), metabolic outcomes (fasting blood samples), self-perceived stress, anxiety, quality of life at work and job strain (questionnaires), tertiary outcomes; resting metabolic rate and cycling energy expenditure (indirect calorimetry) and eating behaviours (questionnaires) will be measured. An ergonomic approach based on observations and individual interviews will be used to identify parameters that could determine adherence.
Discussion
The REMOVE study will be the first RCT to assess the effects of cycling workstations on objectively measured PA and SB during working and non-working hours and on key physiological and psychological health outcomes. This study will provide important information regarding the implementation of such cycling workstations in office workers and on the associated potential health benefits.
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.govNCT04153214. Registered on November 2019, version 1
... Workplace interventions to break up sedentary time with physical activity are less well studied and show inconsistent findings [43][44][45]55]. From controlled experiments, it is known that workplace equipment such as cycling desks and some activity-promoting office chairs can increase the energy expenditure [56][57][58][59], with conflicting results about their effects on work performance and productivity [46,47,59,60]. ...
Sedentary behaviour, defined by a sitting body posture with minimal-intensity physical activity, is an emergent public health topic. The time spent sedentary is associated with the incidence of non-communicable chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and significantly shortens life-expectancy in a dose-response relationship. Office workers are at particular risk of developing diseases related to sedentary behaviour due to their excessive sedentary work. Even though thigh-worn posture sensors are recommended to measure sedentary behaviour, the vast majority of the evidence was collected with waist-worn physical activity sensors, and we still lack a method to measure the posture and the physical activity component of sedentary behaviour simultaneously.
This thesis aims to advance the measurement of sedentary behaviour in an office context by developing new device-based methods to measure both components simultaneously, and by validating and subsequently applying the most promising method to measure the actual amount of sedentary behaviour in the daily life of office workers.
The method development showed that it is possible to measure both components of sedentary behaviour with only one sensor, preferably worn on the thigh or waist. While an accelerometer is sufficient for the thigh, an inertial-measurement-unit is preferable for the waist due to a significantly improved posture classification. The method validation subsequently confirmed that waist-worn physical activity sensors, the prevailing choice to measure sedentary behaviour, measure minimal-intensity physical activity. Furthermore, the study uncovered a serious postural dependency causing a systematic overestimation of minimal-intensity physical activity while sitting compared to standing. The subsequent method application considered the posture dependency and combined a thigh-worn posture sensor with a waist-worn physical activity sensor to POPAI, the Posture and Physical Activity Index. POPAI has a sensitivity of 92.5% and a specificity of 91.9% to measure sedentary behaviour and classified 45.0% of the office workers wake-time sedentary. The posture sensor alone overestimated sedentary time by 30.3%, and the physical activity sensor alone overestimated sedentary time by 22.5%. The difference can be explained by active sitting (2.0 hours per day) and inactive standing (1.8 hours per day), both of which are much more common than previously thought.
This thesis confirms the recommendation to use a thigh-worn accelerometer to measure sedentary behaviour and adds the information that such a sensor is also able to measure physical (in-)activity in sitting. Thus, there is no need to approximate sedentary behaviour with sitting, nor is there a need to approximate it with inactivity. In fact, these approximations lead to inaccurate and imprecise results substantially overestimating sedentary behaviour. Due to the predominant use of physical activity sensors to measure sedentary behaviour, recommendations to limit sedentary behaviour should address a limitation of the time spent inactive rather than the time spent sitting. If it turns out that sitting matters, one could expect a much stronger relationship between sedentary behaviour measured with a combined method such as POPAI and detrimental health effects.
... In adult workplace settings and primary and secondary schools, where the majority of research in this area has been conducted, sit-to-stand desk transitions have resulted in positive effects for reducing sedentary behavior among middle-aged office workers and school-aged youths [4]. In workplace settings, standing desks may be beneficial for improving both mental and physiological health outcomes [5], and an eight-week randomized intervention of 23 adult office workers found that standing desks significantly increased standing time by 72.9 min and reduced sitting time 80.2 min per 8 h workday, compared to 21 control group participants [6]. In K-12 school settings, standing desk interventions have found that standing time is 41 min per school day for children [7], with up to an hour of reduced sedentary time each day [4]. ...
Standing desks may reduce sedentary behaviors in college students. Students at one mid-size urban university in the Midwestern United States were randomized into intervention (n = 21) and control groups (n = 27) to assess standing time when given access to standing desks. The intervention group received visual and oral instructor prompts to stand, while the control received no prompts during a 50 min lecture. All students were provided with adjustable tabletop standing desks. ActivPAL accelerometers measured sitting and standing time. A brief survey assessed student preferences, including facilitators and barriers to standing. Mean standing time was greater in the intervention vs. control group (26 vs. 17 min, p = 0.023). Students tended to stand in the corners and edges of the room. Main facilitators for standing included to break up sitting, reduce back pain, and increase attention and focus; main barriers were not wanting to distract others or be the only one standing. In total, 87.5% of intervention group participants found five prompts to stand were adequate. Students increased standing time in class when provided with standing desks and instructor prompts to stand. Findings can inform the layout of classrooms and when and how to promote standing desks during lectures.
This study investigated the role of arousal and effort costs in the cognitive benefits of alternating between sitting and standing postures using a sit‐stand desk, while measuring executive functions, self‐reports, physiology, and neural activity in a 2‐h laboratory session aimed to induce mental fatigue. Two sessions were conducted with a one‐week gap, during which participants alternated between sitting and standing postures each 20‐min block in one session and remained seated in the other. In each block, inhibition, switching, and updating were assessed. We examined effects of time‐on‐task, acute (local) effects of standing versus sitting posture, and cumulative (global) effects of a standing posture that generalize to the subsequent block in which participants sit. Results ( N = 43) confirmed that time‐on‐task increased mental fatigue and decreased arousal. Standing (versus sitting) led to acute increases in arousal levels, including self‐reports, alpha oscillations, and cardiac responses. Standing also decreased physiological and perceived effort costs. Standing enhanced processing speed in the flanker task, attributable to shortened nondecision time and speeded evidence accumulation processes. No significant effects were observed on higher‐level executive functions. Alternating postures also increased heart rate variability cumulatively over time. Exploratory mediation analyses indicated that the positive impact of acute posture on enhanced drift rate was mediated by self‐reported arousal, whereas decreased nondecision time was mediated by reductions in alpha power. In conclusion, alternating between sitting and standing postures can enhance arousal, decrease effort costs, and improve specific cognitive and physiological outcomes.
Objectives: Various interventions have sought to break sedentariness among office workers, but their pooled effect on sitting time reduction remains unknown. Also, it is essential to compare the effectiveness of different intervention types.
Study design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Methods: A literature search was conducted in the PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE (via EBSCO), PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library databases from inception to May 2, 2023. Two independent reviewers screened eligibility, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane risk of bias
tool 2.0. Randomized controlled trials aiming to reduce sitting at work were included. The primary outcome was sitting time at work per day. The secondary outcomes included cardiometabolic risk factors, psychological well-being, and work engagement. A random effects model was performed to synthesize continuous data as mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).
Results: Twenty-four studies with 3169 participants were included. All intervention types in combination significantly reduced workplace sitting by 38 min per workday (95% CI: 47.32 to 28.72; P < 0.001; I2=49.78%). Interventions using environmental support (ES), motivational strategies (MS), or multiple components (multi) had all shown a significant reduction in work-time sedentary behavior (SB) relative to control groups. Regarding secondary outcomes, no significant effects were observed in physical or
psychological outcomes besides high-density lipoprotein.
Conclusions: Findings suggest that SB reduction interventions are generally effective for reducing workplace sitting. Multi interventions with both ES and MS are recommended for future clinical applications. Future studies should aim not only to reduce SB but also to attain the benefits of SB reduction interventions on physical and psychological well-being.
Theoretical models of the effect of aerobic activity on concurrent
cognitive tasks predict both impairments and improvements
depending on the specific characteristics of the cognitive task. It
can be assumed that both aerobic and cognitive tasks share
neural resources of limited capacity (such as self-control) or that
they interact by confliction or facilitation of brain activation.
Detrimental effects are thus expected for cognitive tasks requiring
self-control or conflicting brain activation. Effects of cognitive
tasks on simultaneous aerobic activity have rarely been
investigated, but predictions can be made by adaptations of the
same theoretical models. The predicted effects should be
enhanced at higher intensities due to increasing drains of neural
resources and stronger brain activations. The current study aimed
to investigate the interaction of aerobic and cognitive tasks under
increasing and maximum physical load. Fifty participants (31 men,
19 women, mean age 22.8 ± 2.6 years) performed two maximum
performance cycling tests, one in combination with mental
rotation tasks (dual-task condition) and one without a cognitive
task (control condition). Cognitive (reaction time, accuracy) and
physical (power, cadence) performance, as well as objective (heart rate) and subjective (cognitive and physical ratings of perceived exertion) effort, were measured during the respective tests. The results showed increased cognitive effort during increased physical load and a focus on speed rather than accuracy, which can be interpreted in support of the models. Physical performance, however, could be upheld without increased physiological effort. The physical results contradict the suspected impairment predicted by the adaptations of the theoretical models.
Prolonged sedentary behaviour has established health risks; however many individuals spend long periods of time sitting at work. Qualitative researchers suggest that inconsistent effectiveness of interventions may be linked to an incomplete understanding of the nature of and factors influencing sedentary behaviour in the workplace. Therefore, this study’s aim was to use the COM-B model of behaviour, complimented by the Theoretical Domains Framework, to examine how Capability, Opportunity and Motivation influences sitting behaviour at work in office workers. The study was a qualitative phenomenological analysis in which office workers (n=10) who had predominantly desk-based jobs were interviewed about their sitting behaviour at work. Interview analysis using the Nvivo 10 programme and the Framework Method identified themes and quantified the prevalence of each theme across participants. The analysis incorporated a number of procedures to enhance the trustworthiness including researcher reflexive journal and coding triangulation. Physical capability had minimal influence on behaviour, but psychological capability was influential. Physical and social opportunities were influential in terms of the physical environment, nature of the job, social acceptability and norms related to sitting. Both automatic and reflective motivation emerged as being influential on sitting behaviour. To conclude, the COM-B model, complimented by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), facilitated understanding of factors influencing office workers’ sitting behaviour and highlighted a number of potential areas for future intervention foci.
Background:
As modern occupations become more sedentary, desk-bound workers are more at risk of chronic diseases. Active workstations have gained popularity in the workplace, but there remain concerns about their impact on cognitive function.
Objective:
This study investigated the use of a novel under-desk leg swing device on cognitive ability in the workplace compared to sitting.
Methods:
Cognitive ability was measured using a pre-employment aptitude test (CCAT), and perceived outcomes were analyzed via self-report questionnaires. Using a randomized, repeated measures crossover design, 18 undergraduate students undertook the CCAT while using the under-desk leg swing device and while sitting only (Experiment 1). 9 students returned two to three weeks later to repeat testing (Experiment 2).
Results:
In Experiment 1, CCAT scores did not differ significantly between the under-desk leg swing device and sitting (mean difference (MD) = -1.056, standard error (SE) = 1.302,p = 0.429, d = -0.16). Effect sizes of 0.554 were observed for perceived alertness, 0.446 for attention, 0.446 for focus, and 0.564 for enjoyment, but there were no significant differences between the two conditions. CCAT scores were significantly higher in Experiment 2 than in Experiment 1 (MD = 8.444, SE = 2.410,p = 0.008, d = 1.64).
Conclusion:
Based on Experiment 1, the findings suggest the use of the under-desk leg swing device promotes movement without detriment to neither workflow nor cognitive ability relevant to employee aptitude compared to sitting.
Background
Sedentary behaviour increases the risks of non-communicable diseases. The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effect of the Physical Activity at Work multicomponent intervention to reduce sedentary behaviour in Thai office workers.
Methods
Offices under the Ministry of Public Health Thailand, were randomly allocated to the intervention and control group in a 1:1 ratio, stratified by office size. The intervention included individual (pedometer and lottery-based financial incentives), social (group movement breaks), environmental (posters), and organisational (leader encouragement) components. At baseline and 6-month follow-up, participants wore ActiGraphTM on the waist for ten days. The primary outcome was the between-group difference in sedentary time at 6-month, analysed using a linear mixed-effects model. Other outcomes were physical activity, biomarkers, productivity, and musculoskeletal health. Trial registration: The PAW study was registered at the Thai Clinical Trials Registry (ID TCTR20200604007) on 02 June 2020.
Findings
282 office workers were recruited and randomly allocated to the control group (142 participants, nine offices) and the intervention group (140 participants, nine offices). The mean age was 38.6 years (SD = 10.4), and 81% were women. There was no evidence of intervention effects on sedentary time during waking hours (−26.8; 95% CI = −69.2 to 15.7 min), physical activity levels, or biomarkers between groups at 6-month. In the adjusted analysis, increases in time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (5.45; 95% CI = −0.15 to 11.1 min) and step count (718; 95% CI = −45 to 1481 steps) during waking hours were observed, although there was no evidence of a difference between groups.
Interpretation
The intervention did not significantly reduce sedentary time in Thai office workers. Suboptimal intervention uptake due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and loss of statistical power associated with recruitment constraints may explain this result. Further investigations are needed to evaluate the processes of the trial.
Funding
The Thai Health Promotion Foundation and the International Decision Support Initiative (iDSI).
Background:
Adjustable height sit-stand desks are becoming the norm in many workplaces. It is not known how task type, worker preference, and occupation impact utilization of the adjustable height feature.
Objective:
This survey-based study aimed to determine how task type, preference and occupation affect office workers' sitting and standing behaviors at work.
Methods:
Office workers (n = 123) from different occupations completed surveys about actual and preferred positions (sit, stand, either/both) during 39 common tasks from 4 different categories, as well as barriers to use. Each position was analyzed by task type, behavior, and occupation.
Results:
There were differences between actual and preferred behavior for each position, with participants sitting more and standing less than preferred across all task categories. There were differences between task categories with participants sitting less for generative and routine, and standing more for communication tasks. The highest rates of either/both responses were for routine tasks. Engineers reported the lowest standing rates, and also indicated standing more than preferred. Information Tech and Engineering had the highest either/both responses. Finance reported the highest sitting rates. Personal, task-based and workplace limitations were cited as barriers to preferred use.
Conclusion:
Office workers would prefer to stand more at work. Occupation-specific needs and preferences, as well as types of tasks should be considered when providing workplace standing options.
Introduction/purpose:
Although many US adults report trying to lose weight, little research has examined weight loss goals as a motivator for reducing workplace sitting and increasing physical activity. This exploratory analysis examined weight goals and the association with changes in workplace sitting, physical activity, and weight.
Methods:
Employees (N = 605) were drawn from worksites participating in Stand and Move at Work. Worksites (N = 24) were randomized to a multilevel behavioral intervention with (STAND+) or without (MOVE+) sit-stand workstations for 12 months; MOVE+ worksites received sit-stand workstations from 12 to 24 months. At each assessment (baseline and 3, 12, and 24 months), participants were weighed and wore activPAL monitors. Participants self-reported baseline weight goals and were categorized into the "Lose Weight Goal" (LWG) group if they reported trying to lose weight or into the "Other Weight Goal" (OWG) group if they did not.
Results:
Generalized linear mixed models revealed that within STAND+, LWG and OWG had similar sitting time through 12 months. However, LWG sat significantly more than OWG at 24 months. Within MOVE+, sitting time decreased after introduction of sit-stand workstations for LWG and OWG, although LWG sat more than OWG. Change in physical activity was minimal and weight remained stable in all groups.
Conclusions:
Patterns of change in workplace sitting were more favorable in OWG relative to LWG, even in the absence of notable weight change. Expectations of weight loss might be detrimental for reductions in workplace sitting. Interventionists may want to emphasize non-weight health benefits of reducing workplace sitting.
Active-desks are emerging strategies aiming at reducing sedentary time while working. A large inter-individual variability in energy expenditure (EE) profile has been identified and has to be explored to better optimize and individualize those strategies. Thus the present study aimed at comparing the metabolic and physical profile of individuals characterized as high spenders (H-Spenders) versus low spenders (L-Spenders) based on EE during a cycle-desk low intensity exercise. 28 healthy women working in administrative positions were enrolled. Anthropometric, body composition and fasting metabolic profile parameters were assessed. EE was determined by indirect calorimetry, at rest and during a 30-min cycle-desk use. Participants were categorized as H-Spenders and L-Spenders using the median of the difference between EE at rest and during the 30-min exercise. H-Spenders had higher mean EE (p < 0.001) and carbohydrate oxidation (p = 0.009) during exercise. H-Spenders displayed higher values for fasting plasma insulin (p = 0.002) and HOMA-IR (p = 0.002) and lower values for HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.014) than L-Spenders. The percentage of body fat mass was significantly higher in H-Spenders (p = 0.034). Individuals expending more energy during a low intensity cycling exercise presented a less healthy metabolic profile compared with L-Spenders. Future studies will have to explore whether the chronic use of cycle-desks during work time can improve energy profile regarding metabolic parameters.
Objective:
This study reports a randomized controlled trial of the effect of a job crafting intervention program on work performance and job crafting (as secondary outcomes) among Japanese employees.
Methods:
Participants who satisfied the inclusion criteria were randomly allocated to an intervention (n = 138) or a control group (n = 143). Outcomes were measured at baseline and at 3-month and 6-month follow-up in both groups.
Results:
For the whole sample, the job crafting intervention program showed a nonsignificant effect on work performance and job crafting. However, the program showed a significant effect on these outcomes among younger participants (under 36 years old).
Conclusions:
The job crafting intervention program may not be sufficiently effective to improve work performance and job crafting for the whole sample of participants. However, it may be efficacious for younger workers.
The effects of treadmill workstation use on kinematic gait symmetry and computer work performance remain unclear. The purpose of this pilot study was to analyze the effects of treadmill workstation use on lower body motion symmetry while performing a typing task when compared to overground and treadmill walking. The lower body motion of ten healthy adults (6 males and 4 females) was recorded by a motion capture system. Hip, knee, and ankle joint rotations were computed and compared for each condition. Despite comparable lower body kinematic gait asymmetries across conditions, asymmetric knee flexion motions at early gait cycle were only found in treadmill workstation users (left knee significantly more flexed than the right one). This demonstrates that the interaction between walking and another task is dependent on the task cognitive content. Our findings suggest that lower body kinematic gait symmetry may be influenced by the use of treadmill workstations.
Background:
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of walking at self-selected speed on an active workstation on cognitive performance.
Methods:
Sixty-six participants (n = 27 males, 39 females; mean age = 21.06 ± 1.6 years) completed a treadmill-desk walking and a seated control condition, separated by 48 hours. During each condition, participants completed computerized versions of the Stroop test, a modified flanker task, and a test of reading comprehension.
Results:
No significant differences in response speed or accuracy were found between walking and sitting conditions for any the cognitive tests.
Conclusions:
These findings reveal that performance on cognitive tasks, including executive control processes, are not impaired by walking on an active workstation. Implementing active workstations into offices and classrooms may help to decrease sedentariness without impairing task performance.
Objective: Sedentariness is associated with weight gain and obesity. A treadmill desk is the combination of a standing desk and a treadmill that allow employees to work while walking at low speed.
Design and Methods: The hypothesis was that a 1-year intervention with treadmill desks is associated with an increase in employee daily physical activity (summation of all activity per minute) and a decrease in daily sedentary time (zero activity). Employees (n = 36; 25 women, 11 men) with sedentary jobs (87 ± 27 kg, BMI 29 ± 7 kg/m2, n = 10 Lean BMI < 25 kg/m2, n = 15 Overweight 25 < BMI < 30 kg/m2, n = 11 Obese BMI > 30 kg/m2) volunteered to have their traditional desk replaced with a treadmill desk to promote physical activity for 1 year.
Results: Daily physical activity (using accelerometers), work performance, body composition, and blood variables were measured at Baseline and 6 and 12 months after the treadmill desk intervention. Subjects who used the treadmill desk increased daily physical activity from baseline 3,353 ± 1,802 activity units (AU)/day to, at 6 months, 4,460 ± 2,376 AU/day (P < 0.001), and at 12 months, 4,205 ± 2,238 AU/day (P < 0.001). Access to the treadmill desks was associated with significant decreases in daily sedentary time (zero activity) from at baseline 1,020 ± 75 min/day to, at 6 months, 929 ± 84 min/day (P < 0.001), and at 12 months, 978 ± 95 min/day (P < 0.001). For the whole group, weight loss averaged 1.4 ± 3.3 kg (P < 0.05). Weight loss for obese subjects was 2.3 ± 3.5 kg (P < 0.03). Access to the treadmill desks was associated with increased daily physical activity compared to traditional chair-based desks; their deployment was not associated with altered performance. For the 36 participants, fat mass did not change significantly, however, those who lost weight (n = 22) lost 3.4 ± 5.4 kg (P < 0.001) of fat mass. Weight loss was greatest in people with obesity.
Conclusions: Access to treadmill desks may improve the health of office workers without affecting work performance.
Prolonged sitting time is a health risk. We describe a practice-based study designed to reduce prolonged sitting time and improve selected health factors among workers with sedentary jobs.
We conducted our study during March?"May 2011 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, among employees with sedentary jobs.
Project implementation occurred over 7 weeks with a baseline period of 1 week (period 1), an intervention period of 4 weeks (period 2), and a postintervention period of 2 weeks (period 3). The intervention group (n = 24) received a sit-stand device during period 2 designed to fit their workstation, and the comparison group (n = 10) did not. We used experience-sampling methods to monitor sitting behavior at work during the 7 weeks of the project. We estimated change scores in sitting time, health risk factors, mood states, and several office behaviors on the basis of survey responses.
The Take-a-Stand Project reduced time spent sitting by 224% (66 minutes per day), reduced upper back and neck pain by 54%, and improved mood states. Furthermore, the removal of the device largely negated all observed improvements within 2 weeks.
Our findings suggest that using a sit-stand device at work can reduce sitting time and generate other health benefits for workers.
This study tested the effect of treadmill walking speed on typing performance when these tasks were performed simultaneously. 24 research participants (M age = 23.2 yr.) performed a typing test under each of four conditions including the control (seated), treadmill walking at 1.3 km/hr., 2.25 km/hr., and 3.2 km/hr. Results indicated that treadmill walking had a detrimental effect on typing performance, but that the walking speed of 2.25 km/hr. would result in better typing performance than the slower and faster speeds. Seated typing was better than typing while walking at 1.3 km/hr. and typing while walking at 3.2 km/hr. Typing performance while walking at 2.25 km/hr. was not different than seated typing performance. The results support the potential of treadmill walking at 2.25 km/hr. to provide low-intensity physical activity without compromising typing performance.
Traditional desks require students to sit; however, recently schools have provided students with nontraditional standing desks. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in caloric expenditure of young adults while sitting at a standard classroom desk and standing at a nontraditional standing classroom desk.
Twenty (10 male/10 female) young (22.8 ± 1.9 y), healthy participants reported to the laboratory between the hours of 7:00 AM and 2:00 PM following a 12-h fast and 48-h break in exercise. Participants were randomly assigned to perform a series of mathematical problems either sitting at a normal classroom desk or standing at a nontraditional standing desk. Inspired and expired gases were collected for 45-min for the determination of oxygen consumption (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), and minute ventilation (VE) using a metabolic gas system.
There were significant increases from sitting to standing in VO2 (0.22 ± 0.05 vs. 0.28 ± 0.05 L·min-1, P ≤ .0001), VCO2 (0.18 ± 0.05 vs. 0.24 ± 0.050 L·min-1, P ≤ .0001), VE (7.72 ± 0.67 vs. 9.41 ± 1.20 L·min-1, P ≤ .0001), and kilocalories expended per minute (1.36 ± 0.20 kcal/min, P ≤ .0001 vs. 1.02 ± 0.22 kcal/min, P ≤ .0001).
Results indicate a significant increase in caloric expenditure in subjects that were standing at a standing classroom desk compared with sitting at a standard classroom desk.
Sitting time is a prevalent health risk among office-based workers.
To examine, using a pilot study, the efficacy of an intervention to reduce office workers' sitting time.
Quasi-experimental design with intervention-group participants recruited from a single workplace that was physically separate from the workplaces of comparison-group participants.
Office workers (Intervention, n=18; Comparison, n=14) aged 20-65 years from Brisbane, Australia; data were collected and analyzed in 2011.
Installation of a commercially available sit-stand workstation.
Changes from baseline at 1-week and 3-month follow-up in time spent sitting, standing, and stepping at the workplace and during all waking time (activPAL3 activity monitor, 7-day observation). Fasting total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose levels were assessed at baseline and 3 months (Cholestech LDX Analyzer). Acceptability was assessed with a 5-point response scale (eight items).
The intervention group (relative to the comparison group) reduced sitting time at 1-week follow-up by 143 minutes/day at the workplace (95% CI= -184, -102) and 97 minutes/day during all waking time (95% CI= -144, -50). These effects were maintained at 3 months (-137 minutes/day and -78 minutes/day, respectively). Sitting was almost exclusively replaced by standing, with minimal changes to stepping time. Relative to the comparison group, the intervention group increased HDL cholesterol by an average of 0.26 mmol/L (95% CI=0.10, 0.42). Other biomarker differences were not significant. There was strong acceptability and preference for using the workstations, though some design limitations were noted.
This trial is the first with objective measurement and a comparison group to demonstrate that the introduction of a sit-stand workstation can substantially reduce office workers' sitting time both at the workplace and overall throughout the week.
Sedentary (sitting) behaviours are ubiquitous in modern society. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the association of sedentary time with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.
Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for terms related to sedentary time and health outcomes. Cross-sectional and prospective studies were included. RR/HR and 95% CIs were extracted by two independent reviewers. Data were adjusted for baseline event rate and pooled using a random-effects model. Bayesian predictive effects and intervals were calculated to indicate the variance in outcomes that would be expected if new studies were conducted in the future.
Eighteen studies (16 prospective, two cross-sectional) were included, with 794,577 participants. Fifteen of these studies were moderate to high quality. The greatest sedentary time compared with the lowest was associated with a 112% increase in the RR of diabetes (RR 2.12; 95% credible interval [CrI] 1.61, 2.78), a 147% increase in the RR of cardiovascular events (RR 2.47; 95% CI 1.44, 4.24), a 90% increase in the risk of cardiovascular mortality (HR 1.90; 95% CrI 1.36, 2.66) and a 49% increase in the risk of all-cause mortality (HR 1.49; 95% CrI 1.14, 2.03). The predictive effects and intervals were only significant for diabetes.
Sedentary time is associated with an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality; the strength of the association is most consistent for diabetes.
Habitual physical activity participation is widely accepted to be a safe and effective method for managing cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk factors. However, engagement in physical activity has the potential to trigger cardiovascular events, especially when the activity is of vigorous intensity and the participant is unfit or has pre-existing cardiometabolic conditions. Occupational physical activity is a population-specific stressor, and there is a clustering of risk factors which predispose to cardiometabolic conditions amongst “blue-collar” workers. These factors centre on physical work demands relative to worker physical fitness, conditions of the working environment (shift work, temperature, noise pollution, air pollution and the nature of the activity) and socioeconomic status-related worker lifestyle. We conclude that the risk of cardiometabolic disease and associated cardiovascular events occurring in physically demanding occupations is dictated by the interaction of numerous factors, many of which are modifiable through habitual physical activity participation.
Physical activity (PA) is one of the most powerful treatment options for persons with prediabetes or diabetes. However, some elevation in risk occurs with increased PA, at least initially, and certain precautions need to be made to lower these risks, particularly if these persons are unaccustomed to exercise. We conducted a standardized search of all adverse events associated with increased PA in persons with prediabetes or diabetes (type 1 or type 2) and provided evidence-based guidelines on PA screening in these apparently high-risk individuals. A systematic literature review was performed of all studies reporting on adverse events in persons with prediabetes or diabetes. Studies included were from all designs (retrospective and prospective including randomized controlled trials) and were assessed according to evaluation criteria adapted by a consensus panel. A total of 47 studies, involving >8000 individuals, were deemed eligible. A number of these studies identified a range of mild to severe acute risks with exercise (musculoskeletal injury, hypoglycemia, foot ulceration, proliferative retinopathy, hypotension, sudden death) but the overall prevalence was low. Based on several randomized controlled trials and prospective studies in which prescribed exercise was performed at a wide range of intensities, it appears that increased PA is a relatively safe procedure with no evidence of a loss of life. Based on our assessment of the available literature, we provide a new PA risk algorithm for persons with prediabetes and diabetes and comment on the role of the patient, the qualified exercise professional, and the patient’s physician in the risk screening process.
Observational studies show breaking up prolonged sitting has beneficial associations with cardiometabolic risk markers, but intervention studies are required to investigate causality. We examined the acute effects on postprandial glucose and insulin levels of uninterrupted sitting compared with sitting interrupted by brief bouts of light- or moderate-intensity walking.
Overweight/obese adults (n = 19), aged 45-65 years, were recruited for a randomized three-period, three-treatment acute crossover trial: 1) uninterrupted sitting; 2) seated with 2-min bouts of light-intensity walking every 20 min; and 3) seated with 2-min bouts of moderate-intensity walking every 20 min. A standardized test drink was provided after an initial 2-h period of uninterrupted sitting. The positive incremental area under curves (iAUC) for glucose and insulin (mean [95% CI]) for the 5 h after the test drink (75 g glucose, 50 g fat) were calculated for the respective treatments.
The glucose iAUC (mmol/L) · h after both activity-break conditions was reduced (light: 5.2 [4.1-6.6]; moderate: 4.9 [3.8-6.1]; both P < 0.01) compared with uninterrupted sitting (6.9 [5.5-8.7]). Insulin iAUC (pmol/L) · h was also reduced with both activity-break conditions (light: 633.6 [552.4-727.1]; moderate: 637.6 [555.5-731.9], P < 0.0001) compared with uninterrupted sitting (828.6 [722.0-950.9]).
Interrupting sitting time with short bouts of light- or moderate-intensity walking lowers postprandial glucose and insulin levels in overweight/obese adults. This may improve glucose metabolism and potentially be an important public health and clinical intervention strategy for reducing cardiovascular risk.
The purpose of this study was to assess participants' ability to perform tasks requiring attention, short term memory, and simple motor skill while sitting, standing or walking at an active workstation.
Fifty participants completed the Stroop Color Word test (SCWT), Auditory Consonant Trigram test (ACTT), and Digital Finger Tapping test (DFTT) while sitting, standing and walking 1.6 km/h at an active workstation.
A significant difference was found for DFTT, but no differences across conditions were found on ACTT or SCWT. Examination of the linear contrasts and post hoc means comparison tests revealed significant differences in DFTT scores between sitting and walking (t = 2.39 (49) P < .02) and standing and walking (t = 2.28 (49) P < .03). These results indicate that adding the walking task to the ACTT and SCWT conditions results in no decrement in performance on these tasks. Conversely, adding the walking task to the DFTT condition results in reduced performance on the DFTT task.
These results further support the potential of active workstations to increase physical activity in the workplace without compromising cognitive capabilities.
Lifestyle changes that include a nutritionally balanced diet and increased physical activity (PA) are effective intervention options for persons with prediabetes who want to prevent progression to type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although nutritional counseling is standard practice for patients in a clinical setting, an individualized PA prescription, including recommendations on the type, frequency, duration, and intensity, is much less likely to occur. This is surprising because lifestyle modifications including a PA program are at least as effective in diabetes prevention as any single pharmacological agent. The success of regular PA in improving glycemic control in persons with either prediabetes or type 2 diabetes likely results from adaptations that occur in several organs and tissues, including adipose, skeletal muscle, liver, and pancreas. Increased insulin sensitivity is an important link between increased PA, body composition, and metabolic health, and it is at this link where increases in PA and energy expenditure exert much of their effect on preventing metabolic disorders and improving symptoms of existing disease. In addition to improving insulin sensitivity, regular PA has several cardioprotective effects, especially for persons with metabolic dysfunction, and has been shown to elicit minimal adverse events in these populations. Effective PA prescription is contingent on an understanding of the underlying physiological adaptations and the differing responses to diverse modes and intensities of PA. This article highlights recent findings on the beneficial role of regular PA for improving and/or maintaining insulin sensitivity in persons with prediabetes. We also provide an evidence-informed prescription for the type, intensity, and duration of both resistance and aerobic PA in persons with prediabetes.
Adjustable sit-stand workstations, which are designed to allow workers to sit and stand autonomously while working, were examined to identify the effects on workers' musculoskeletal discomfort, alertness and performance. Twenty-four healthy subjects participated in the study. The subjects were required to do an English transcription task for 150 min under the following conditions: 1) sitting at standard workstations (Standard), 2) sitting on a chair with the work surface elevated to standing position (High-chair) and 3) a combination of 10-min sitting and 5-min standing with the same setting as that in the high-chair condition (Sit-stand). The subjective musculoskeletal discomfort scores indicated that High-chair and Sit-stand resulted in relatively higher discomfort levels than the Standard condition. Although the ratio between low-frequency (0.04-0.15 Hz) and high-frequency (0.15-0.4 Hz) components of heart rate variability (LF/HF ratio) in Sit-stand was higher than that in other conditions, there were no significant differences in subjective sleepiness among the three conditions. As for work performance, there was a tendency to be steadily high under the Sit-stand condition compared with other conditions, but not a significant difference. This study revealed that although the use of sit-stand workstations can contribute to keeping workers' arousal level steady, it has an adverse effect in light of musculoskeletal discomfort.
The primary purpose of this narrative review was to evaluate the current literature and to provide further insight into the role physical inactivity plays in the development of chronic disease and premature death. We confirm that there is irrefutable evidence of the effectiveness of regular physical activity in the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity, depression and osteoporosis) and premature death. We also reveal that the current Health Canada physical activity guidelines are sufficient to elicit health benefits, especially in previously sedentary people. There appears to be a linear relation between physical activity and health status, such that a further increase in physical activity and fitness will lead to additional improvements in health status.
Background: Epidemiological research has established sitting as a new risk factor for the development of non-communicable chronic disease. Sit-stand desks have been proposed as one strategy to reduce occupational sedentary time. This formative research study evaluated the acceptability and usability of manually and electrically operated sit-stand desks in a medium-sized government organisation located in Sydney, Australia. Methods: Sitting time pre-and three months post-installation of the sit-stand desks was measured using validated self-report measures. Additionally, three group interviews and one key-informant interview were conducted with staff regarding perceptions about ease of, and barriers to, use and satisfaction with the sit-stand desks. All interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed for themes regarding usability and acceptability.
The relation between work load, work performance and work posture in a light repetitive task was investigated. Subjects were asked to do multiplication of one-digit numbers and to enter the answers on a key board. The task duration was 60 and 90min, either with a combination of sitting and standing postures or with no change of posture at all. In the ‘no change of posture’ condition, workload was higher and work performance was lower than that with combinations of postures. Compared to the time of changing postures, introduction of change at an early stage was more effective to reduce the workload and to enhance the work performance. The longer the task time, the lower the effects of changed postures. Change of posture was useful to reduce the monotonous feelings of fatigue on a short-term light repetitive task. On a short-term light repetitive task, change of posture is recommended to be introduced at an early stage. On a long-term task such as over 90min working time, a more effective improvement is suggested.
Thirty three computer workers from two companies worked at fixed-height worksurfaces (FHWs) and then at electronic height-adjustable worksurfaces (EHAWs) for 4–6 weeks. Subjects completed survey questionnaires before and after using the EHAWs. Results showed significant decreases in the severity of musculoskeletal discomfort for most upper body segments. In the EHAW condition daily discomfort ratings were lower in the afternoon and productivity ratings improved. There was a strong preference for using the EHAWs. An attempt to assess any placebo effect met with limited success. Further studies are needed.
The physiological and psychological health problems associated with sedentary office work are well documented, but their solution has proved elusive. In this study a specially designed office permitted the comparison of conventional word processing (sedentary condition) to word processing performed while walking on an electric treadmill at 1.4 to 2.8 km/hr (active condition). Five subjects after several days of practice produced two test trials each consisting of six 20-minute intervals of word processing. For the sedentary condition the subjects were seated, during all six intervals. For the active condition, treadmill-walking and seated intervals were alternated. Variables measured included word processing performance score, stress and arousal indices, and body complaint count. The first of these was tested with a repeated ANOVA and Newman-Keuls post hoc, and the latter three with correlated t-tests. No significant differences were found between the two conditions for performance or body complaints. Stress was significantly lower (p < .05), and arousal was higher but not quite significant (P < .07) for the active condition. We conclude that treadmill walking and routine word processing can be performed concurrently without a decrement in work performance, and that certain physiological and psychological benefits may result.
Long periods of sedentary behaviour may adversely affect health irrespective of overall physical activity levels. This study compared the effects of sitting, standing and walking on postprandial lipaemia in healthy normolipidaemic Japanese men. 15 participants, aged 26.8±2.0 years (mean±SD), completed 3, 2-day trials in a random order: 1) sitting (control), 2) standing, and 3) walking. On day 1 of the sitting trial, participants rested. On day 1 of the standing trial, participants stood for six, 45-min periods. On day 1 of the walking trial, participants walked briskly for 30 min at approximately 60% of maximum heart rate. On day 2 of each trial, participants rested and consumed test meals for breakfast and lunch. Venous blood samples were collected in the morning and afternoon on day 1, and in the fasted state (0 h) and at 2, 4 and 6 h postprandially on day 2. On day 2 area under the serum triacylglycerol concentration vs. time curve was 18% lower on the walking trial than the sitting and standing trials (1-factor ANOVA, P=0.015). Hence postprandial lipaemia was not reduced after standing but was reduced after low-volume walking compared with sitting in healthy normolipidaemic Japanese men.
Time spent sitting increases all-cause mortality. Sedentary occupations are a major contributor to the obesity epidemic. A treadmill desk offers the potential to increase activity while working; however, it is important to make sure that productivity does not decline. The purpose of this study is to evaluate productivity while using a treadmill desk.
Eleven experienced medical transcriptionists participated in the study.
Transcriptionists were given 4 hours training in the use of a treadmill desk. They were asked to transcribe tapes for 8 hours both while sitting and while using the treadmill desk. Speed and accuracy of transcription were compared as were the average expended calories per hour.
The accuracy of transcription did not differ between sitting and walking transcriptions. The speed of transcription was 16% slower while walking than while sitting (p < 0.001). The transcriptionists expended 100 calories per hour more when they transcribed while walking than when they transcribed while sitting (p < 0.001).
The treadmill desk offers a way to reduce sedentariness in the workplace and has potential to reduce employee obesity and health care costs. However, more than 4 hours of training will be necessary to prevent a significant drop in employee productivity.
To determine if a treadmill-workstation (TMWS) increases physical activity (PA) and influences anthropometric, body composition, cardiovascular, and metabolic variables in overweight and obese office-workers.
Twelve (mean age= 46.2 ± 9.2 years) overweight/obese sedentary office-workers (mean BMI= 33.9 ± 5.0 kg·m-2) volunteered to participate in this 9-month study. After baseline measurements of postural allocation, steps per day, anthropometric variables, body composition, cardiovascular, and metabolic variables, TMWS were installed in the participants' offices for their use. Baseline measurements were repeated after 3 and 9 months. Comparisons of the outcome variables were made using repeated-measures ANOVAs or nonparametric Friedman's Rank Tests.
Between baseline and 9 months, significant increases were seen in the median standing (146-203 min·day-1) and stepping time (52-90 min·day-1) and total steps/day (4351-7080 steps/day; P < .05). Correspondingly, the median time spent sitting/lying decreased (1238-1150 min·day-1; P < .05). Using the TMWS significantly reduced waist (by 5.5 cm) and hip circumference (by 4.8 cm), low-density lipoproteins (LDL) (by 16 mg·dL-1), and total cholesterol (by 15 mg·dL-1) during the study (P < .05).
The additional PA energy expenditure from using the TMWS favorably influenced waist and hip circumferences and lipid and metabolic profiles in overweight and obese office-workers.
The effect of active workstation implementation on speech quality in a typical work setting remains unclear.
To assess differences between sitting, standing, and walking on energy expenditure and speech quality.
Twenty-two females and 9 males read silently, read aloud, and spoke spontaneously during 3 postural conditions: sitting, standing, and walking at 1.61 km/h. Oxygen consumption (VO2), blood pressure, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were obtained during each condition. Expert listeners, blinded to the purpose of the study and the protocol, assessed randomized samples of the participants' speech during reading and spontaneous speech tasks in 3 postural conditions.
Standing elevated metabolic rate significantly over sitting (3.3 ± 0.7 vs. 3.6 ± 0.9 ml·kg-1·min-1). Walking at 1.6 km/h while performing the respective tasks resulted in VO2 values of 7.0 to 8.1 ml·kg-1·min-1. There was no significant difference in the average number of syllables included in each speech sample across the conditions. The occurrence of ungrammatical pauses was minimal and did not differ across the conditions. Conclusion: The significant elevation of metabolic rate in the absence of any deterioration in speech quality or RPE support the utility of using active work stations to increase physical activity (PA) in the work environment.