Abstract
Purpose: There is growing evidence prolonged workplace sitting is associated with multiple health risks. Utilizing static and active workstations may help improve these health risks. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if providing access to a sit-stand workstation and a shared treadmill desk without a behavioural intervention could increase workplace physical activity and decrease sitting time. Methodology: Participants (N=15) were assigned to an experimental (sit-stand desk and shared treadmill desk; n=8) or control group (n=7) for seven weeks. No behavioural interventions were used to encourage participation. A physical activity questionnaire was administered at baseline and at the end of the study to assess workplace physical activity and sitting time. Participants wore an activity tracker (Fitbit One) to objectively assess daily footsteps and physically active hours. A mixed between-within subject analysis of variance was used to compare the groups (p 5000 steps/day. Practical Implications: This is the first study to examine the use of both static and active workstations to increase workplace physical activity and reduce sitting time without a behavioural intervention. Value: Combining static and active workstations with the addition of a behavioural intervention to promote and motivate the participants may produce significant improvements in workplace physical activity and reductions in sitting time.
Highlights
There is growing evidence prolonged sitting is associated with multiple health risks including musculoskeletal conditions, increased biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases, and increased mortality [1,2]
There were no significant differences in workplace physical activity, total daily footsteps, or workplace sitting time at the end of our study
We found that when the shared treadmill desk is utilized, it can have a positive impact on daily workplace footsteps
Summary
There is growing evidence prolonged sitting is associated with multiple health risks including musculoskeletal conditions, increased biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases, and increased mortality [1,2]. Because office-based employees spend most of their workday sitting, work-place interventions have the potential to significantly reduce overall sedentary behaviour [6]. Work-place behavioural interventions such as goal setting and education along with walking, climbing stairs, and structured exercise routines have been widely implemented with some success, but ergonomic interventions using static (sit-stand workstation) or active (treadmill desk) workstations may be a more feasible option [6,7,8]. Sit-stand workstations can be lowered and elevated to an appropriate height allowing employees to complete computer/desk-based tasks while alternating sitting and standing while performing job tasks (Figure 1). Koepp [12] replaced participants’ traditional workstations with treadmill desks and found significant decreases in sedentary time, increases in daily physical activity, and significant weight loss in many of the participants. Others showed treadmill desk walking can improve short-term increases in memory and attention along with health benefits [15]
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