About Careers MedBlog Contact us
Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Advertisement

Cycling, Treadmill Workstations Improve Health, Reduce Stress

by Iswarya on January 30, 2019 at 10:22 AM
Font : A-A+

Cycling, Treadmill Workstations Improve Health, Reduce Stress

Want to promote health, decrease stress and increase the productivity of your employees? Try active workstations like treadmill and cycling as they also promote physiological changes in the body than sitting or standing workstations, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Long sitting hours at the workplace can put people at various health risks like obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes as well as various cancers.

Advertisement


The study, led by researchers from the Universite de Montreal in Canada, found that treadmill workstation got people moving and increased upper body muscle activity more than did standing versions, while cycling workstations improved simple processing task speeds the most.

But the upper body effort needed to stabilize gait and posture on a treadmill workstation might affect the fine motor skills, such as typing, needed for keyboarding.
Advertisement

Both treadmill and cycling workstations also boosted the heart rate and energy expenditure while prompting a drop in blood pressure during the working day compared with standing workstations, the findings showed.

These workstations lowered stress, increased alertness, and reduced boredom more than standing versions.

"With workers and the workplace slowly moving towards active workstations, future long-term studies integrating different types of active workstations should be conducted to provide additional evidence," said Professor Marie-Eve Mathieu.

"Ultimately, workers and corporations should be able to critically examine the benefits and limitations of each type of workstation and determine which is most appropriate for the worker's specific needs and tasks," Mathieu added.

To understand the potential impact of active workstations on health and productivity, the team reviewed 12 studies (out of 274 initially selected).

They looked at the effect on muscles and physiology average heart rate, blood pressure, energy expenditure-perceived exertion and pain tolerance, and cognitive performance at work processing speeds, attention, and short-term memory.

While all types of workstations were associated with a short-term boost in productivity, cycling and treadmill workstations seemed to be associated with greater short-term physiological changes, the researchers noted.

Source: IANS
Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement

Recommended Reading

Latest Research News

New Biomarkers Help Detect Alzheimer's Disease Early
A group of scientists were awarded £1.3 million to create a new “point of care testing” kit that detects Alzheimer's disease biomarkers.
Bone Health and Dementia: Establishing a Link
Is there a connection between Osteoporosis and dementia? Yes, loss in bone density may be linked to an increased risk of dementia in older age.
Is Telomere Shortening a Sign of Cellular Aging?
Link between chromosome length and biological aging marker discovered. The finding helps explain why people with longer telomeres have a lower dementia risk.
Why Is Integrated Structural Biology Important for Cystic Fibrosis?
Integrated structural biology helps discover how the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) works.
Impact of Age-Related Methylation Changes on Human Sperm Epigenome
Link between advanced paternal age and higher risks for reproductive and offspring medical problems has been discovered.
View All
This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close
×

Cycling, Treadmill Workstations Improve Health, Reduce Stress Personalised Printable Document (PDF)

Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.

Name *

Email Address *

Country *

Areas of Interests