Recent Sport England Active Lives Adult Survey data shows that 27.5% of adults across the North East are classed as inactive (doing fewer than 30 minutes physical activity a week), higher than the national average.
When considering that one third of our adult lives is spent at work, it raises an important question: do workplaces have a responsibility to help employees move more and live healthier lives?
Physical inactivity is linked to an increased risk of a range of long-term health conditions and affects both physical and mental wellbeing. For employers, this can contribute to reduced productivity, increased absence and lower employee job satisfaction.
Why movement matters
Prioritising physical wellbeing isn’t just the right thing to do for employees; it also makes business sense. When employees are physically healthy, they are more likely to feel engaged, productive, and happy in their job.
The benefits of movement also go far beyond physical health. Regular movement helps stimulate blood flow and increase oxygen delivery to the brain, supporting concentration, focus, and overall wellbeing throughout the working day.
The challenge facing today’s workforce
Modern working life can look different across every industry, but many jobs involve spending prolonged periods in the same position.
For office-based employees, this often means long periods of sitting at a desk. In fact, 81% of UK office workers spend between 4–9 hours sitting at their desk each day, equating to an average of 67 sedentary days per person each year.
However, the challenge isn’t limited to office environments. Drivers, for example in construction or delivery industries, can spend hours sitting behind the wheel with limited opportunities to move. Research shows that more than 70% of long-haul truck drivers report getting no regular vigorous physical activity.
When we also factor in commuting, caring responsibilities, school drop-offs, and everyday life pressures, it becomes easier to understand why so many adults struggle to find time to be active.
Small changes can make a big difference
Employers therefore have an important role to play in creating environments that support people to move more throughout the working day.
This doesn’t always require huge changes either. Sometimes simple actions, such as encouraging walking/wheeling meetings, promoting active travel to work, or building movement into the working day can make a meaningful difference.
Introducing Movement Matters
To support more workforces to get moving, we developed Movement Matters – a toolkit designed to help staff at every level of an organisation build more movement into the working day.
Here’s what the programme includes.
- A series of guides made specifically for employers, managers and employees to help increase movement throughout the workday.
- Access to our CPD-accredited e-learning module on Physical Activity. This is an engaging and interactive online module, which includes advice, videos and quizzes.
- Access to our Fitness Programme. This includes nine workout videos, requiring zero equipment. Created and presented by a certified fitness instructor.
Whether you’re just starting your workplace wellbeing journey or looking to strengthen your existing approach, Movement Matters provides practical support that can be implemented across organisations of all sizes.
Find out more
At Rise Workplace Wellbeing we’re passionate about providing high-quality health and wellbeing e-learning packages, designed to help organisations create a long lasting, happier and healthier workforce.
Get in touch to find out more about Movement Matters or explore our wider CPD-accredited Workplace Wellbeing Programme.
