Non-significant changes were reported for most health- and work-related outcomes .
Findings suggest that activity-permissive workstations can be effective to reduce occupational sedentary time , without compromising work performance .
Excessive sedentary time is detrimentally linked to obesity , type 2 diabetes , cardiovascular disease and premature mortality .
Studies have been investigating the use of activity-permissive workstations to reduce sedentary time in office workers , a highly sedentary target group .
This review systematic ally summarizes the evidence for activity-permissive workstations on sedentary time , health-risk biomarkers , work performance and feasibility indicators in office workplaces .
Increasing passive energy expenditure during clerical work
Sitting on a therapy ball or st and ing may be a passive means of increasing energy expenditure throughout the workday . The purpose of this study was to determine the energy expenditure and liking of performing clerical work in various postures . Subjects included 24 men and women employed in sedentary clerical occupations .  Energy expenditure was measured while word processing in three st and ardized postures ; sitting in an office chair , sitting on a therapy ball , and st and ing . Adults ranked their comfort , fatigue , and liking of each posture and were asked to perform their choice of 20 min of additional clerical work in one of the postures . Energy expenditure was 4.1 kcal/h greater ( p ≤ 0.05 ) while performing clerical work while sitting on a therapy ball and st and ing than while sitting in an office chair . There was no difference in energy expenditure between the therapy ball and st and ing postures ( p ≥ 0.48 ) . Subjects also liked sitting on a therapy ball  as much as sitting in an office chair and liked sitting on a therapy ball  more than st and ing ( p ≤ 0.05 ) . More subjects chose to perform additional clerical work while seated on a therapy ball than while st and ing ( p = 0.03 ) . In conclusion , sitting on a therapy ball or st and ing rather than sitting in an office chair while performing clerical work increases passive energy expenditure
Non-significant changes were reported for most health- and work-related outcomes .
Findings suggest that activity-permissive workstations can be effective to reduce occupational sedentary time , without compromising work performance .
Excessive sedentary time is detrimentally linked to obesity , type 2 diabetes , cardiovascular disease and premature mortality .
Studies have been investigating the use of activity-permissive workstations to reduce sedentary time in office workers , a highly sedentary target group .
This review systematic ally summarizes the evidence for activity-permissive workstations on sedentary time , health-risk biomarkers , work performance and feasibility indicators in office workplaces .