Keeping your postural, abdominal and gluteal muscles on their toes throughout the working day can have big health benefits.
Moving more throughout the day whether exercising outside of work or not has a big impact on long-term health. Here, our Bupa expert gives office workers her tips for healthier working lives.
People who work in offices spend up to 75 per cent of their working day sitting, according to a report published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Studies have found that a sedentary lifestyle increases people’s risk of diabetes and cardiovascular problems.
Stand up
According to a study co-commissioned by Public Health England, people should spend at least two hours a day on their feet during their working day. Standing has health benefits as well as a positive impact on energy and creativity. As part of its On Your Feet Britain Challenge, the British Heart Foundation suggests standing during phone calls, having standing or walking meetings and standing during presentations.
Set an alarm
it’s easy to spend hours sitting down without realising it when you’re focused on your work. Set alarms on smartphones or send a company-wide email alert to prompt people to move at least once an hour.You could also consider recommending an app that prompts users to take regular breaks.
Swap emails for face-to-face conversations
As an experiment, a Canadian newspaper asked one office-based employee to communicate only via email or phone while another spoke with colleagues in person. The desk-based employee took just 719 steps; the other reached 8, 054. Encouraging your people to talk to each other directly gets them moving and could potentially boost collaboration and office culture.
Get employee input
Hunter Ruthven was previously editor of Business Advice. He was also the editor of Real Business, the UK's most-read website for entrepreneurs and business leaders at the helm of growing SMEs.
You may think a typical working day is dull for most UK employees, but a new study has found there are plenty of ups and downs when considering the longer-term outlook of an adult's average working life. more»
With 79 per cent of UK adults turning to the internet for health advice, getting your employees to self-educate about good health through online tools is a great way to help them engage with their own wellbeing. more»
Looking for that first place to base your operations from can be a tricky endeavour. Here, Peter Ames runs through the options to consider, along with the pros and cons of each, to help crystallise which choice is best for you. more»