Working in unusual positions has been shown to be more effective than sedentary work
Scientific evidence suggests that sedentary lifestyles are comparable to smoking in terms of health risks. An active workplace with opportunities to stand and walk could solve the problem for those who are mentally busy and spend most of their working hours sitting in front of a computer. The authors of a new study in the US have disproved the common fear that productivity may suffer in this type of workplace. What's more, they found that participants in the trial showed improved cognitive performance compared to sitting.
For the randomised clinical trial, which took place over four days in one of the centres of the American Meyo Clinic, 44 healthy people over the age of 18 were recruited, 28 of whom were women. The subjects had an average age of 35 years, plus or minus 11 years, a weight of 75.5 kilograms, plus or minus 17.1 kilograms, and a body mass index of 26.5, plus or minus 5.2 units. Participation in the experiment was paid for.
On the first of the days, volunteers used a stationary workstation involving a sitting position. On subsequent days, they were randomised to three other types of workstations with the option of standing, exercising with a stepper or walking on a treadmill.
In each option, the researchers monitored participants' performance using a battery of tests to assess neurocognitive functions, including thinking, short-term memory and concentration. Fine motor skills were assessed using an online typing speed test and other techniques. Participants also wore accelerometers to measure activity.
The results were analysed using linear regression and the Bonferroni method to control for group probability of error. The analyses showed that in jobs with the ability to stand and use a treadmill or stepper, mental function improved or remained the same without deterioration. Although typing speed slowed slightly, typing accuracy was not affected.
In general, participants in active workplaces scored higher on mental ability tests. Comparing the scores by activity type (standing, using a stepper, and walking on a treadmill), the researchers found no statistically significant differences. The only thing was that typing speed was slightly higher when standing than when walking - 42.5 versus 39.7 words per minute.
According to one of the authors of the study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the results make a strong case that office workers could combine their labour with physical activity, keeping them productive and their minds sharp. The introduction of active workplaces would contribute to the prevention and improvement of health in such conditions as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, concluded the physician.
We would like to add that the participants in the experiments were mostly overweight (body mass index above 25). So, even persons whose basic physical activity causes increased (compared to people with normal body weight) energy consumption, may well receive benefits from working standing or under a small physical load.
Previously, an international group of scientists recognised sitting still as the most harmful type of activity for heart health, leading to an increased risk of increased body mass index, cholesterol levels and glycated haemoglobin in the blood (a marker of type 2 diabetes).