Mobile workstations for better health

Walking workstations have advantages over at least three other forms of workstations: seated, standing and cycling, the findings showed.

"We found that the walking workstations, regardless of a person's exercise habits or body mass index (BMI), had significant benefits," said Michael Sliter, assistant professor of psychology at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in the US.

"Even if you do not exercise or if you are overweight, you will experience both short-term physical and psychological benefits," Sliter added.

For the study, a sample of 180 participants were evaluated on boredom, task satisfaction, stress, arousal, and performance while completing work-related computer tasks across four randomly assigned workstations: seated, standing, cycling or walking.

Walking workstation participants felt higher satisfaction, while experiencing less boredom and stress than the standing and sitting workstation participants, the researchers found.

In comparison, the cycling workstation was associated with reduced satisfaction and performance.

The study appeared online in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.