Alternative Workstations: Magic Pills for Office Worker Health?

Routine office or computer work are of public health concerns due to their sedentary nature. Sit- stand desks may be prescribed for employees based on medical or ergonomic factors. Sit-stand or active workstations, either assigned to individual workers or made available in “unassigned” office areas are also making inroads into the workplace with the goal of reducing sedentary work, varying (alternating) work postures, improving productivity, or accommodating workers with musculoskeletal symptoms. This diverse panel will present recent research and practice findings and invite audience participation in a discussion of this trending topic. Studies examining the effects of sit-stand or active workstations on physiological and cardiovascular outcomes will be reported. The effects on movement patterns, performance and productivity will also be examined. Real workplace interventions and examples of practices will be presented. The goal is to provide a forum to share our understanding about the benefits and limitations of various office workstation designs and discuss research needs.