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So you sit at a cubicle or a desk too many hours a day. You also see the reporting and the studies that indicate that “sitting is the new smoking.”

The question is: Should employers seek ways to introduce activity, movement or exercise into their employees' workday?  In other words: Do workplace interventions work?

While the study's title may give away the answer, that's exactly what researchers who registered their trial with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry sought to discover.

The report is titled “Participatory workplace interventions can reduce sedentary time for office workers–a randomised controlled trial.” It states: “The purpose of the study was to determine if participatory workplace interventions could reduce total sedentary time, sustained sedentary time (bouts >30 minutes), increase the frequency of breaks in sedentary time and promote light intensity activity and moderate/vigorous activity (MVPA) during work hours.”

While there may have been challenges in having all participants finish the study, the report concludes: “This study explored novel ways to modify work practices to reduce occupational sedentary behaviour. Participatory workplace interventions can reduce sedentary time, increase the frequency of breaks and improve light activity and MVPA of office workers by using a variety of interventions.”

With that in mind, Exercise Medicine asks, “what are the health consequences of reducing sedentary time at the workplace by 10-30 minutes?” The piece reviews several studies and notes:

• “Numerous studies suggest that it is extended periods of sedentary behavior that are so detrimental to our health”
• “Sedentary behavior is correlated with all-cause mortality”
• “Being healthier at work can save time and therefore increase productivity”

The conclusion is clear: “In summary, it appears that workplace physical activity intervention programs could cause significant health benefits to participants if implemented successfully.”