Pedal desks may reduce health risks in sedentary work

Washington: Pedal desks can help sedentary employees achieve their health goals, and lower the risk of diseases linked to physical inactivity, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease, a study has found.

Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the US found that pedalling while conducting work tasks improved insulin responses to a test meal. Insulin levels following the meal were lower when sedentary workers used a pedal desk compared to a standard desk. In addition, work skills were not decreased in the pedalling condition.

Researchers said that pedal desks “could have the potential to achieve public and occupational health goals in sedentary work environments. “They point out that physical inactivity and sedentary work environments have been linked to higher rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease through insulin resistance and other mechanisms.” “Instead of approaching the problem by trying to squeeze intermittent activity into a largely sedentary work routine, we chose to consider integrating physical activity into the workday,” said Stuart Chipkin, who led the study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Researchers felt that the alternatives now available for office workers — standing desks and treadmill desks — are not feasible to use for whole shifts and may even pose some barriers, such as standing too long. By contrast, a pedal desk can be used in a seated position at the user’s own pace for as little or as much time as the worker chooses.

Though there are currently no commercial pedal desks on the market, researchers were able to use a prototype pedal desk. “From the metabolic point of view, the pedal desk seems to be helpful and from the work point of view, work tasks were not impaired,” Chipkin said. — PTI