‘Activity snacks’ give boost at work

Active workstations incorporating a walking pad, bike, stepper and/or standing desk are successful strategies for reducing sedentary time and improving mental cognition at work without reducing job performance, according to a Mayo Clinic study. But you don’t need to spend money on new office equipment to achieve the benefits of an active workstation.

Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, explains the concept of “activity snacks” and how they can be incorporated into just about anyone’s daily routine.

Sitting at a desk for hours at a time may make some feel exhausted and unmotivated. If that’s ever happened to you, it may be time for a snack … an activity snack.

The concept is simple, after sitting for an hour, take two to three minutes to get up and move your body.

“You break this sedentary status of your body by going to take the stairs for two or three flights, or just do some push-ups or do something that is meaningful in terms of activity for just a few minutes, and then come back and continue your work,” says Lopez-Jimenez.

In a way, Lopez-Jimenez says those two to three minutes reset your metabolic clock.

“It has been impressive, the biological changes those activity snacks can induce in your cells, in the metabolism of the sugar, in the metabolism of the cholesterol, just by having those little episodes of activity, even though you might be sitting down for the next 45 minutes,” he says.