A Busy Employee Isn’t Necessarily A Physically Active One

A European study of physical activity in the workplace finds that being busy doesn’t necessarily correlate with being physically active enough to prevent heart disease. The study was conducted in a busy Irish hospital among 83 employees in six healthcare occupations. Each wore a pedometer to record steps; calories burned were also assessed. High levels of activity -- achieving maximal health gains -- were achieved by only 53 percent, especially among pharmacists and nurses. Pedometer data showed that only 6 percent reached the recommended levels of 10,000 steps per working day. Thirty percent were described as "sedentary" (fewer than 5000 steps a day).