Active Workstations Boost Cognitive Functions Without Hindering Typing Skills, Study Finds

A randomized clinical trial conducted at the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, sheds light on the impact of active workstations on employees’ cognitive functions and typing skills. This innovative study, which included 44 participants, explored the effects of various office setups, including sitting and active workstations such as standing, walking, or using a stepper, on neurocognitive performance and fine motor skills over four consecutive days. The findings, recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, indicate that transitioning from a sedentary to an active workstation does not compromise work performance or typing accuracy, and may actually improve cognitive functions.

Extended sedentary behavior has been identified as a risk factor for chronic diseases and mortality, prompting the exploration of feasible interventions to reduce sitting time in office environments. The study’s results suggest that active workstations offer a viable solution to enhance cognitive performance while potentially mitigating the health risks associated with prolonged sitting. Participants experienced either improved or unchanged neurocognitive test scores when using active stations compared to sitting. Interestingly, while typing speed slightly decreased, typing accuracy remained unaffected across all active workstations, pointing towards a possible habituation effect.

The study underscores the lack of significant differences across the three types of active workstations in terms of impact on cognitive functions, except for a slight reduction in typing speed when standing versus stepping. These findings highlight the potential of active workstations to not only decrease sedentary time but also to contribute positively to employees’ cognitive health without impairing work performance. Office workers, both in traditional office settings and working from home, could benefit from integrating such workstations into their daily routines as a measure to increase physical activity and daily energy expenditure.

This trial, registered under NCT06240286 at clinicaltrials.gov, stands as a pivotal study in examining the benefits of active workstations, advocating for their implementation to foster a healthier work environment and overall well-being among office employees.