Standing at work can be detrimental to blood pressure
A Finnish study found that prolonged standing at work had a negative impact on the research participants’ 24-hour blood pressure. In contrast, spending more time sitting at work was associated with better blood pressure. The study suggests that activity behaviour during working hours may be more relevant to 24-hour blood pressure than recreational physical activity.
Regular exercise is important for controlling blood pressure. In particular, more vigorous, aerobic exercise is effective for lowering blood pressure, but also everyday physical activity can have a beneficial impact. Previous studies have shown that exercise in leisure time is more beneficial for the cardiovascular system than physical activity at work, which can even be detrimental to health.
24-hour blood pressure important for cardiovascular health
In the Finnish Retirement and Aging study (FIREA) conducted at the University of Turku, the physical activity of municipal employees approaching retirement age was measured using thigh-worn accelerometers during working hours, leisure time, and days off. In addition, the research participants used a portable blood pressure monitor that automatically measured their blood pressure every 30 minutes for 24 hours.
“Rather than any single measurement, 24-hour blood pressure is a better indication of how blood pressure stresses the heart and blood vessels throughout the day and night. If blood pressure is slightly high throughout the day and does not fall sufficiently even at night, blood vessels start to stiffen and the heart has to work harder to cope with the increased pressure. Over the years, this can lead to the development of cardiovascular disease,” says Doctoral Researcher Jooa Norha.
Take a break from standing during the workday
The latest results confirm previous findings that physical activity at work can be harmful to the heart and circulatory system. In particular, prolonged standing can raise blood pressure as the body boosts circulation to the lower limbs by constricting blood vessels and increasing the pumping power of the heart.
“A standing desk can provide a nice change from sitting at the office, but too much standing can be harmful. It's a good idea to take a break from standing during the work day, either by walking every half an hour or sitting for some parts of the day,” Norha recommends.
Recreational physical activity is also needed
In addition, the results of the study suggest that sedentary work in itself is not necessarily harmful to blood pressure. Instead, researchers stress the importance of recreational physical activity for both office and construction workers.
“It is good to remember that being physically active at work is not enough on its own. Engaging in diverse physical exercise during leisure time helps to maintain fitness, making work-related strain more manageable. Similarly, employees with predominantly sedentary jobs should ensure that they get enough exercise during their leisure time,” Norha highlights.
Journal
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
Associations between Leisure and Work Time Activity Behavior and 24 H Ambulatory Blood Pressure among Aging Workers
Exploring factors affecting workers' acquisition of exercise habits using machine learning approaches
University of Tsukuba
Tsukuba, Japan—Physical inactivity is the fourth leading mortality risk factor, following hypertension, smoking, and hyperglycemia. Therefore, acquiring an exercise habit is crucial to maintain and improve health. In Japan, Specific Health Guidance is provided to support the improvement of lifestyle habits, including exercise habits. To develop more efficient health guidance, it is important to identify factors that influence its effectiveness (e.g., characteristics and lifestyle of the target population). In this study, data from middle-aged workers who received Specific Health Guidance were analyzed using machine learning to explore the factors associated with the acquisition of exercise habits, and the importance of each factor was evaluated.
The researchers conducted a secondary analysis of data obtained by health insurance societies and other organizations through health projects in 2017-2018. They found that the most critical factor associated with the acquisition of exercise habits was "the higher stages of behavioral change toward lifestyle improvement," followed by "high level of physical activity" and "high density lipoprotein cholesterol level being within the reference range." In contrast, "daily alcohol consumption of ≥60 g" had a negative effect on the acquisition of exercise habits.
This study revealed the factors related to the characteristics and lifestyles of middle-aged workers who received Motivational Health Guidance under the Specific Health Guidance program that positively associate with the acquisition of exercise habits. The results of this study may contribute to developing more efficient health guidance.
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This work was supported by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (grant numbers 21ek0210124h9903 and JP23rea522107).
Original Paper
Title of original paper:
Factors associated with acquiring exercise habits through health guidance for metabolic syndrome among middle-aged Japanese workers: A machine learning approach
Journal:
Preventive Medicine Reports
DOI:
10.1016/j.pmedr.2024.102915
Correspondence
Professor NAKATA, Yoshio
Institute of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba
Specially Appointed Professor TSUSHITA, Kazuyo
Faculty of Nutrition, Kagawa Nutrition University
Lecturer of hospital ONOUE, Takeshi
Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine
Lecturer WAKABA, Kyohsuke
Faculty of Human Life, Jumonji University
Related Link
Institute of Health and Sport Sciences
Journal
Preventive Medicine Reports
Article Title
Factors associated with acquiring exercise habits through health guidance for metabolic syndrome among middle-aged Japanese workers: A machine learning approach
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