Unstable sitting in the workplace -- are there physical activity benefits

Details

• Personal Author:
  Hudock, Stephen D. ; Lotz, W. Gregory ; Lowe, Brian D. ; Swanson, Naomi G.
• Description:
  The increasingly popular practice of using a stability ball (exercise/fitness ball) as a sitting surface runs counter to conventional human factors/ergonomics guidelines for seated workspace design. Employees sitting on stability balls in an office environment present safety risks that might be justifiable if the practice has a definitive benefit to the promotion of health. However, the published studies and best evidence to date call into question even the theoretical basis for this practice and do not suggest significant health benefits. First, biomechanical studies do not confirm the intended trunk muscle activation. Second, energy expenditure studies show a small (if any) increase in metabolic demand that is unlikely to be effective in combating sedentary work risk factors. Until studies demonstrate more conclusive benefits, the practice of stability ball sitting should be viewed skeptically as a general workplace recommendation in the interest of health or wellness. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biomechanical Phenomena Energy Metabolism Ergonomics Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Safety Management
• Keywords:
  Biomechanics Equipment-design Metabolic-activation Metabolism Muscle-function Muscle-physiology Muscles Musculoskeletal-system Office-equipment Office-furniture Office-workers Physical-exercise Physical-fitness Physiological-effects Physiology Risk-factors Safety-measures Workers

  More +
• ISSN:
  0890-1171
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DART - Division of Applied Research and Technology
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  207-209
• Volume:
  29
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20045902
• Citation:
  Am J Health Promot 2015 Mar/Apr; 29(4):207-209
• Contact Point Address:
  Brian D. Lowe, PhD, Division of Applied Research and Technology, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Ave., MS C-24, Cincinnati, OH 45226
• Email:
  blowe@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Health Promotion
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:42b31130fd7148adf8bdad6b964a6e2a193302711b22362c8d577ac12647c9e333611d5d5d40d7b73d93f209033ad1e5f7386e2221ad0f3d4c5d0216a89681ab
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/201147/cdc_201147_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 604.14 KB ]