According to a recent Mayo Clinic study, active workstations that incorporate a walking pad, bike, stepper, and/or standing desk are effective in reducing sedentary time and improving mental cognition at work without compromising job performance. Prolonged sedentary behavior, whether at work or at home, increases the risk of preventable chronic diseases.
“Our research suggests that integrating movement into office work that would typically involve long periods of sitting is achievable. Active workstations could potentially enhance cognitive performance and overall health by incorporating movement into the workday,” stated Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, a preventive cardiologist at Mayo Clinic and the senior author of the study.
The study involved 44 participants in a randomized clinical trial where four different office settings were assessed over four consecutive days at Mayo Clinic’s Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center. The findings of the study were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The office settings included a stationary sitting station on the first day, followed by three active workstations (standing, walking, or using a stepper) in a random order. Researchers evaluated the participants’ neurocognitive function based on 11 assessments focusing on reasoning, short-term memory, concentration, and fine motor skills through typing speed tests and other evaluations.
Results showed that when participants used the active workstations, their brain function either improved or remained the same, and their typing speed slightly decreased. However, the accuracy of their typing was not affected. The study demonstrated improved reasoning scores when participants were standing, stepping, or walking compared to sitting.
“Sedentary behavior poses a significant risk to cardiovascular health, and office workers often spend a large portion of their workday sitting at a computer screen. These findings suggest that there are alternative ways to conduct work while maintaining productivity and mental acuity. Considering an active workstation as part of prevention and treatment strategies for conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes could be beneficial,” Dr. Lopez-Jimenez concluded.
