Published on
Updated
Reading 2 mins.
A sedentary lifestyle is a source of many health hazards, including in professional life. The need to move in the office is becoming more and more important to business leaders. Especially since it would contribute to the concentration and productivity of employees.
At least that’s what it says a study recently appeared in the Journal of Applied Psychology. Canadian and American researchers have studied the benefits of physical activity before or after the working day. To do this, they recruited nearly 70 employees working in several companies located on the west coast of North America. They all worked a minimum of 32 hours a week and incorporated at least two workouts, lasting around 30 minutes each, into their weekly routine, according to the trade journal Psychopost.
More focused employees after physical activity
Scientists asked study participants to wear a Fitbit smartwatch to track their physical activity, as well as complete questionnaires about their fitness motivation. In addition, one of their colleagues had to assess their concentration at the end of each day at the office. The results speak for themselves: employees who were active before or during their working day were more concentrated than those who were more sedentary. And this, even if they practiced a physical activity of “light” intensity such as walking or going up and down stairs.
Nevertheless, the researchers discovered that these low-intensity physical exercises only improved the concentration of less athletic employees. Those who are used to doing sports in their daily life need to have more physical activity before or during their working day to feel the effects in the office. “The results are actually very simple”summarized Lieke L. ten Brummelhuis, one of the authors of the study, to PsyPost.
“In three sentences: Going for a walk or any light-intensity physical activity before or during the work day helps employees focus better on their work tasks that day. For employees who like to exercise , intense physical exercise (such as jogging) has a similar beneficial effect. On the other hand, for those who do not like to move, it is better to stick to light or moderate intensity physical activity.
Teleworking: beware of a sedentary lifestyle!
However, the conclusions of this study should be taken with caution, due to the small panel of participants and the fact that they are used to doing sports in their everyday lives. But it attests to the importance of practicing physical activity, in any form, to fight against a sedentary lifestyle at work.
This phenomenon is nothing new: many employees have been spending their working day in front of their computer screen for decades. But it has amplified with the health crisis linked to Covid-19. The generalization of teleworking favors a more sedentary lifestyle more than ever. No need to leave home to attend a meeting or meet with a client. Just use videoconferencing software to participate in office life without having to get up from your sofa.
Most working days are spent exclusively sitting, which is not without consequences for the health of employees. Indeed, the absence of movement can contribute to the appearance of musculoskeletal disorders and low back pain, while increasing cardiovascular risk factors such as overweight, high blood pressure or diabetes. This is why specialists advise workers to interrupt sitting periods as much as possible to move for a few minutes. Whether it’s to go to the toilet or even hang up a laundry machine between two visios.