Using technology to increase physical activity at work

This is an excerpt from Advanced Fitness Assessment and Exercise Prescription 8th Edition With Online Video by Ann Gibson,Dale Wagner & Vivian Heyward.

Active workstations (e.g., treadmill desks or pedal desks) and adjustable-height work surfaces that allow employees to stand (sit-stand desks) are becoming more commonplace. They provide a means to reduce prolonged periods of sitting. Some employees have their own active workstations, while others have access to one located in a common area. A recent review of studies about active workstations (Cao et al. 2016) indicates that the calories burned may increase two- to fourfold for employees who change from sitting in a chair (~70-90 kcal·h⁻¹) to active workstations. Additionally, daily step counts and physical activity (min/day) increase dramatically for those using active workstations during the workday. Crandall and colleagues (2016) found that using sit-stand workstations reduces sitting time by approximately 85 min/day. They also reported that employees using a shared treadmill desk accumulate slightly fewer than 9,000 steps·day⁻¹ while at work. Ongoing longitudinal research in this area may identify long-term effects of using active workstations on employee health. Currently, these effects are not well documented.