Manual Control During Exercise: Implications for Strategies to Increase Physical Activity in the Workplace (360G-Wellcome-202423_Z_16_Z)

Emerging evidence supports the feasibility of raising daily energy expenditure (EE) by replacing office work-related sedentary behaviour with low-intensity non-exercise physical activity (PA) via workstation alternatives such as under desk cycles. Using an under desk cycle while interacting with a computer requires the user to divide their attentional resources between the two tasks. Given this, it surprising that little research has examined whether under desk cycles compromises productivity. In this study, we examine the impact of using an under desk cycle on 3 upper limb motor tasks over a number of practice trials. Participants will cycle at 20 watts while completing (1) a tracking task (2) an aiming task (3) a tracing task repeating this 6 times over a 14 days period. We will sample and analyse 2D kinematics of the cursor while completing these tasks and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), movement time and path accuracy, respectively, will be used to quantify the effect that cycling has on manual control. Furthermore, this sudy will investigate if and how continued use and practice of the desk cycle affects these measures as week to understand if and how people adapt their control of manual tasks over a period of time.