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Computer Prompts to Take Breaks from Sitting Lead to Lower Blood Pressure

Trial of 'e-Health Solution' to Increasing Non-Exercise Physical Activity

A computer app prompting desk workers to take breaks from sitting leads to significant and lasting reductions in blood pressure, reports a trial in the September 2018 issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

"An e-health solution designed to increase non-exercise physical activity by interrupting sitting time in the workplace is feasible and produced long-term reductions in blood pressure," write Scott John Pederson, PhD, and colleagues of University of Tasmania, Australia.

The study evaluated a software application called Exertime, which encourages office workers to take breaks from sitting for non-exercise physical activity. At scheduled intervals, the app presented workers with scheduled "movement break" screens. The break screens could be postponed, but once they appeared, workers had to click through each screen before they could resume working on their computer.

The study evaluated changes in blood pressure in 228 desk-based employees who used the app for 1 year. The results showed "clinically meaningful" reductions in blood pressure, beginning within 3 months and continuing through 9 to 12 months. Average systolic blood pressure (the first, higher number) decreased by about 1 to 3 mm Hg, while diastolic pressure (the second, lower number) decreased by about 4 to 5 mm Hg.

Larger reductions were seen in workers who had initially had hypertension (high blood pressure) or "prehypertension." In those with hypertension, both the systolic and diastolic pressures decreased by about 8 to 11 mm Hg.

Prolonged, uninterrupted sitting has been linked to many health risks — including high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease — independent of physical activity level. Taking regular breaks from sitting for non-exercise physical activity, such as standing or light walking, might help to reduce these risks.

The new results show that workers are willing to use computer prompts to take breaks from sitting, and that "it is possible to achieve a clinically meaningful reduction in blood pressure through regular movement breaks," Dr. Pedersen and coauthors write. They add: "The use of free-choice but regular low-intensity movements as the primary mechanism for health change is encouraging for interventions that target long-term sedentary populations."
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About the Author — Dr. Pedersen may be contacted for interviews at Scott.Pedersen@utas.edu.au.

About ACOEM — The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (www.acoem.org), an international society of more than 4,000 occupational physicians and other health care professionals, provides leadership to promote optimal health and safety of workers, workplaces, and environments.

About JOEM — The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (www.joem.org) is the official journal of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Edited to serve as a guide for physicians, nurses, and researchers, the clinically oriented research articles are an excellent source for new ideas, concepts, techniques, and procedures that can be readily applied in the industrial or commercial employment setting.

Citations

Mainsbridge C, Ahuja K, Williams A, Bird M-L, Cooley D, Pedersen SJ. Blood pressure response to interrupting workplace sitting time with non-exercise physical activity: results of a 12-month cohort study. J Occup Environ Med. 2018;60(9);769-74.