In a new study led by Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez of the Mayo Clinic, standing desks, or “active workstations,” were found to reduce sedentary time and improve mental cognition when integrated into office settings. The research emphasizes the importance of incorporating movement into the workday to combat the health risks associated with prolonged sitting, which many office workers face for up to eight hours a day.
Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the study involved 44 participants in a randomized clinical trial, where they experienced different office settings over four days: sedentary, standing, walking, and using a stepper. The results showed that active workstations had minimal impact on typing speed and accuracy, addressing concerns businesses may have about implementing this type of change in the office.
The study concluded that active workstations can improve cognitive performance and potentially reduce sedentary time without impairing work performance. Dr. Lopez-Jimenez stated that active workstations could be part of the prescription for preventing and treating conditions like obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
Companies looking to enhance their employees’ health and potentially boost productivity may consider incorporating active workstations into their office settings. With little to no negative impact on productivity, introducing more active workstations could lead to improvements in workers’ well-being and indirectly positively affect productivity.
