Study: 5 Minute Walks Every Hour At Work Can Lift Mood, Combat Lethargy

PHILADELPHIA (CBS)—Sitting behind a desk all day?

A new study reveals that walking around for five minutes every hour at work could improve cognitive performance and well-being.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

To test the theory,  researchers invited 30 sedentary adults to complete a series of trials:

• 6 hours of uninterrupted sitting

• Sitting, plus 30 min of moderate-intensity treadmill walking in the morning

• Sitting, plus six hourly 5-min microbouts of moderate-intensity treadmill walking

After the trials self-perceived energy, mood, and appetite were assessed with visual analog scales.

The results?

Both trials that involved exercised increased energy and vigor.

Researchers add that those who took 5 minute walk breaks every hour also improved their mood, decreased levels of fatigue and reduced food cravings at the end of the day compared.

"Introducing short bouts of activity during the workday of sedentary office workers is a promising approach to improve overall well-being at work without negatively impacting cognitive performance," said researchers.

Read more on the study HERE.

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