Approximately 80% of jobs in the United States are predominantly sedentary. Sedentary work time is also increasing worldwide. National and global policy guidelines recommend breaking up sedentary work time to improve population health and reduce premature mortality. However, policies and job demands requiring workers to remain at their desks, along with limited funds and space for exercise equipment, can impede efforts to break up sedentary work time. Under-desk pedaling devices could help address these impediments as they can be used without leaving one’s desk, and their cost and space requirements are similar to office chairs. However, the optimal under-desk pedaling intensity level to enable concurrent office work among physically inactive adults has not been well explored.
In our study, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®, we tested if physically inactive adults could perform office work tasks while concurrently using an under-desk pedaling device at low intensity levels. To help understand if under-desk pedaling is feasible for diverse workers, we recruited equal numbers of men and women, older and younger working-aged adults, and normal weight and overweight/obese adults. Ninety-six adults completed the study in a controlled laboratory setting over a two-hour period. We measured the adults’ performance on typing, reading, logical reasoning and phone tasks while engaged in seated pedaling at two intensity settings (17 and 25 watts) and while seated without pedaling. We also measured adults’ perceived comfort while pedaling and working.
We found that physically inactive adults obtained equivalent work performance scores on typing, reading, logical reasoning and phone tasks across all pedaling and non-pedaling conditions. Differences in adults’ age, sex and body mass index did not modify the pattern of equivalent work performance we observed across the pedaling and non-pedaling conditions. Pedaling at both intensity settings appeared feasible for most physically inactive adults, as adherence to the 17 and 25 watt pedaling intensities exceeded 95%. Adults reported greater comfort while completing work tasks during the lower intensity setting of 17 watts.
Our findings suggest that physically inactive adults can productively perform work tasks while using an under-desk pedaling device at low intensity levels. As adults reported more comfort completing work tasks during the lower intensity condition, future desk-pedaling programs may benefit from recommending a starting intensity level of about 17 watts.
We hope our findings contribute to efforts to implement and evaluate under-desk pedaling devices on a larger scale over extended time periods. Many under-desk pedaling devices provide real-time tracking of pedaling duration and speed — enabling these devices to simultaneously provide feedback for employees and data for program evaluation. These dynamic measurement features of under-desk pedaling devices could help inform next steps to optimize their implementation and use. For instance, ongoing pedaling tracking could provide data on the volume of pedaling that predicts optimal productivity and health outcomes, or the effects of praise and/or incentives on pedaling volume. Continued efforts to implement and evaluate under-desk pedaling devices could reduce health risks of sedentary work time and contribute toward building activity-supportive workplace environments and cultures.
Liza S. Rovniak, PhD, MPH, is an associate professor of medicine and public health sciences at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. Her research focuses on designing environments and policies to sustain physical activity, healthy eating and other behaviors. Using an ecological framework and emphasizing interdisciplinary collaborations, Dr. Rovniak conducts clinical trials and epidemiological research across diverse populations and settings to explore how to facilitate long-term health behavior change. Dr. Rovniak is an ACSM member.
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