Does breaking up sitting in office-based settings result in cognitive performance improvements which last throughout the day? A review of the evidence

Abstract

Sedentary behavior at work contributes to detrimental cognitive outcomes (e.g., decreases in attention). The length of time that cognitive performance benefits are sustained following bouts of breaking up sitting (e.g., using sit-stand desks or walking) is not known. A narrative review of the literature was conducted using a systematic search strategy, with keywords related to breaking up sitting interventions in office-based environments and cognitive performance outcomes in the period immediately post the cessation of the breaking up sitting intervention. Three types of office-based breaking up sitting interventions were identified; 1) sit-stand desks, 2) walking desks and 3) cycling desks. From the eight studies which met the criteria, the impacts of these interventions on cognitive performance outcomes were mixed, with significant benefits in some studies and others reporting no benefit. Of the cognitive domains assessed, working memory, attention, and psychomotor function showed significant sustained improvement for up to 30 minutes post intervention. While there are benefits to a key set of cognitive performance domains following breaking up sitting interventions in office-based settings, no studies have evaluated whether benefits to cognitive performance persist for longer than 30 minutes after the breaking up sitting intervention. Furthermore, specific applications of these cognitive benefits to tasks outside of work (e.g., driving home from work) are unknown.

A Deep Learning Approach to Classify Sitting and Sleep History from Raw Accelerometry Data during Simulated Driving

“…In comparison, ResNet-18 was more highly activated by movements rather than postural changes. The movement patterns identified by ResNet-18 may reflect the differences in psychomotor function (e.g., reaction time) reported after breaking up sitting in previous research [11,[56][57][58]. Previous studies have reported improvements in psychomotor function, reaction time, and attention for cognitive tasks after breaking up sitting with light-to-moderate intensity physical [13,57,59].…”

Move the night way: how can physical activity facilitate adaptation to shift work?

“…Consistent light-intensity physical activity throughout the night shift could promote sufficient psycho-physiological arousal to result in cognitive, alertness, and mood improvements while on shift 86 , 87 . A narrative review of eight studies exploring the impact of breaking up sitting with light-intensity physical activity (e.g., 3 min of walking every 30 minutes) in sedentary day workers ( N = 256) found that breaking up sitting resulted in cognitive improvements in domains such as reaction time and attention 87 . It is unknown whether the effect of multiple bouts of physical activity on cognition, as a marker of adaptation, could extend to night workers experiencing circadian misalignment.…”

“…In sedentary shift workers who are at increased risk of ‘lifestyle illnesses’, breaking up sitting throughout day and night shift may be a method to reduce the likelihood of disease pathogenesis, and increase long-term coping with the shift work lifestyle. However, much of the breaking up sitting literature examines intervention outcomes in day working samples 75 , 87 , 117 – 119 . Thus, the impact of circadian misalignment on cardiometabolic health outcomes in response to a breaking up sitting intervention in shift working populations is currently unknown, though research on this is underway 120 .…”

Effects of physical activity breaks during prolonged sitting on vascular and executive function—A randomised cross-over trial

“… 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 Although periodic movement breaks have been hypothesised to improve central and peripheral vascular function through altered shear stress, vasodilating mediators such as nitric oxide, prostaglandins and vascular compliance, evidence regarding the intensity of these breaks remains under debate. 8 , 12 Moderate to vigorous physical activity is well established to improve adult endothelial function. 13 , 14 Early laboratory studies have suggested a similar favourable vascular benefit with light-intensity activities; however, recent meta-analytic studies have revealed limited evidence regarding the favourable vascular effects of movement breaks or ‘snackivity’.…”

“… 16 The effectiveness of physical activity breaks remain uncertain, because most studies have manipulated the frequency and duration of physical activity breaks but not the intensity—a factor potentially linking physical activity breaks to favourable vascular function in adults. 12 …”