At work, make sure to take fifteen minute breaks every two hours

We know that remaining inactive kills. L’World Health OrganizationWorld Health Organization states that a sedentary lifestyle represents one of the main risk factorsrisk factors mortality linked to non-communicable diseases. It is therefore necessary to reduce the time spent sitting. But what do you do when you have an office job, like 8.1 million French people, according to Dares?

Sports equipment manufacturer Asics wanted to find out more about the best methods to break away from a sedentary lifestyle at the office. To do this, he conducted an experiment with 80 people working in a seated position, with the help of Dr. Brendon Stubbs of King’s College from London. It appeared that fifteen minutes of physical activity is enough to reduce the harmful effects of two hours of continuous work seated at a desk.

Simple actions to reduce stress and improve productivity

Dr. Stubbs’ research team found that participants who took one or more short fifteen-minute breaks at the office were less stressed after just one week. Their level of stressstress decreased by 14.7% in this period. Another advantage: volunteers who took the time to exercise physically during their workday were more efficient than their more sedentary colleagues. Their productivity increased by 33.2% in one week, and their ability to concentrate by 28.6%.

Overall, this experiment showed that the mental state of office workers who took regular breaks improved by 22.5% within a few days. A significant percentage which shows to what extent a sedentary lifestyle affects our morale. All the more reason to strive to move more throughout the work day. Get up, walk when talking on the phone, take the stairsstairsand not theelevatorelevatorto go to the coffee machine… These actions may seem trivial, but they help break away from a sedentary lifestyle.

However, it is not always easy to make cuts during busy days. But difficult does not mean impossible. With a little organization, it is entirely possible to take short breaks every two hours. Remember that you are doing this for your own well-being.