Breaking the Habit? Identifying Discrete Dimensions of Sitting Automaticity and Their Responsiveness to a Sitting-Reduction Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence suggests that sitting is activated automatically on exposure to associated environments, yet no study has yet sought to identify in what ways sitting may be automatic. METHOD: This study used data from a 12-month sitting-reduction intervention trial to explore discrete dimensions of sitting automaticity, and how these dimensions may be affected by an intervention. One hundred ninety-four office workers reported sitting automaticity at baseline, and 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months after receiving one of two sitting-reduction intervention variants. RESULTS: Principal component analysis extracted two automaticity components, corresponding to a lack of awareness and a lack of control. Scores on both automaticity scales decreased over time post-intervention, indicating that sitting became more mindful, though lack of awareness scores were consistently higher than lack of control scores. CONCLUSION: Attempts to break office workers' sitting habits should seek to enhance conscious awareness of alternatives to sitting and afford office workers a greater sense of control over whether they sit or stand.

The immediate and durable effects of yoga and physical fitness exercises on stress.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the effects of yoga and physical fitness exercises on stress and the underlying mechanisms. Participants: Healthy undergraduates from four yoga and four fitness classes participated in Study 1 (n = 191) and Study 2 (n = 143), respectively (in 2017 Fall). Methods: Study 1 evaluated the immediate effect (a 60-minute practice) while Study 2 evaluated the durable effect (a 12-week intervention). Results: Results showed that immediate stress reduction was more salient in the yoga group than that in the fitness group in Study 1. Yoga group had a greater increase in mindfulness, which predicted stress reduction. Similar observations were made in Study 2 showing the durable effect of yoga on stress reduction through mindfulness. Conclusions: Yoga intervention is better than fitness exercises in helping undergraduates cultivate mindfulness and reduce stress. These findings may guide future interventions in stress management in college students.