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Have you ever used the job as a reason not to go to the gym? Well, it might be time to think of a new excuse.
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst claim that office workers might be able to reap the benefits of exercise by using a "pedal podium" without this negatively affecting their performance. productivity.
The researchers found that insulin levels after a test meal were lower when workers used the pedal desk – a desk with bicycle pedal – compared to those sitting at a standard desk, while Work efficiency remained the same.
The pilot study, led by Dr. Stuart Chipkin of UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences, was published in October in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
Pedestal desks "could potentially achieve public and occupational health goals in sedentary work environments," said Chipkin and colleagues in a statement.
Studies have shown that exercise improves sensitivity to insulin. "What was new in this study was the ability to improve the response to insulin after a meal using a tool (footswitch) that allows light exercise while performing standard work tasks. And the pedal desk did not stop to perform these tasks, "said Chipkin in an email.
Chipkin is an endocrinologist who studies the effects of physical activity and medications on insulin sensitivity and skeletal muscle metabolism.
The researchers recruited 12 overweight / obese full-time sedentary office workers and tested them under two conditions: pedaling at a "self-selected light intensity" for two hours and working for two hours at a traditional office, specified Researchers. Six of the participants were men and the other six were women.
Participants were invited to perform computer tasks. They were tested on mouse skills, speed and accuracy of typing, reading comprehension and concentration / attention, the researchers explained.
Participants provided blood samples after eating a light meal. The results revealed that active workers using the pedal console needed less insulin to maintain their blood sugar levels than those using the standard console.
Physical inactivity has been associated with higher rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, due to insulin resistance and other mechanisms, researchers said.
The study came about after researchers realized that current alternatives for standard desks – standing desks and treadmills – are not ideal for full-time teams. They said the alternatives might even have some disadvantages, like staying too long.
"On the other hand, a pedal desk can be seated at the user's speed for as little or as long as the worker wants," researchers said.
In the future, Chipkin said that he planned to explore the impact of pedal offices on diabetics.
Lucas Carr, an associate professor in the Department of Health and Human Physiology at the University of Iowa, said it was important to redesign the workspaces to allow people to be more active.
"We know that exercise works if people do it," Carr said in a phone interview. "The trick of all of this is figuring out how to get people to do it in the long run. That's why I like pedal machines. It's a very sustainable approach. "
Carr conducted his own pedalboard study in 2015. This study found that workers who pedaled more were more likely to report weight loss, better work concentration, and had fewer sick days than their less pedaling counterparts. .
"The best approach is one that someone will use," Carr said. "So there are many different options and it would be wise for employers to work with individual employees to determine which approach is best for them."
Katie Camero can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @camerokt_.
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