It may seem like common sense, but there is now hard evidence that short rest breaks prevent muscle fatigue and possible injury without sacrificing productivity for people engaged in repetitive manual labour.
While working on her master's thesis in mechanical engineering, Karla Beltran measured the fatigue of study participants in a laboratory having them move boxes as she tracked their muscle activity and movement with body sensors.
In one scenario the participants worked without breaks, and in two others took short "micro-breaks" of no more than a minute every 10 minutes to either rest or stretch.
"We observed a significant reduction in muscle fatigue between the different work-rest schedules," says Beltran. "Taking small breaks during a work shift can significantly reduce muscle fatigue and potentially reduce its consequent risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders without negatively affecting productivity."
