It’s widely known that sedentary lifestyles can kill. The World Health Organization states that this is one of the main risk factors for mortality from non-communicable diseases.

It is, therefore, essential to reduce the amount of time we spend sitting down – but how can you do this if you have an office job?

Wanting to learn more about the best ways to tackle physical inactivity in the office, sports equipment manufacturer Asics conducted an experiment with 80 people working in a seated position, with the help of Dr Brendon Stubbs from King’s College London.

It was found that 15 minutes of physical activity was enough to lessen the detrimental effects of two hours of continuous sitting at a desk.

Stubbs’ research team discovered that participants who took one or more 15-minute breaks in the office were less stressed after just one week, their stress levels falling by 14.7% in that time.

Another advantage was that volunteers who were more active during their working day were more efficient than their sedentary colleagues. Their productivity increased by 33.2% in one week, and their ability to concentrate by 28.6%.

Overall, the experiment showed that the mental state of office workers who took regular breaks improved by 22.5% within a few days – a significant percentage, which just goes to show the impact inactivity can have on morale.

Whether it’s getting up to see a co-worker, walking while you’re on the phone, or taking the stairs instead of the lift, these actions may seem trivial, but they help to break the sedentary nature of office work.