Within-Session Reductions in Negative Mood During a 4-Week Upright Sitting Practice in Japanese Young Adults: An...

Area of Science:

• Psychophysiology
• Behavioral Medicine
• Stress Physiology

Background:

• Poor posture is linked to increased stress and negative mood states.
• Understanding the psychophysiological impact of postural interventions is crucial for well-being.
• Previous research has not extensively explored the effects of instructed upright sitting on multiple stress indicators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in subjective mood, autonomic nervous system activity, and salivary biomarkers during a 4-week instructed upright sitting posture intervention.
• To assess the feasibility and impact of a novel postural practice on stress-related physiological and psychological measures in healthy young adults.

Main Methods:

• Employed a single-arm, within-subject, repeated-measures observational design.
• Eighteen healthy university students practiced an instructed upright sitting posture for 4 weeks.
• Assessed mood states (POMS2), autonomic indices (HR, HRV), and salivary biomarkers (cortisol, chromogranin A, oxytocin, α-amylase) at baseline, week 2, and week 4.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in negative mood states and Total Mood Disturbance following the upright sitting posture sessions.
• Heart rate demonstrated significant main effects of measurement timing and week.
• Heart rate variability indices and salivary biomarkers did not exhibit consistent significant changes; posture maintenance time correlated with practice duration.

Conclusions:

• Instructed upright sitting posture can positively influence subjective mood states in healthy young adults.
• The intervention shows potential for stress management, though its effects on autonomic and salivary stress markers require further investigation.
• Future research should explore longer-term effects and refine the intervention for broader application.