Health

Make the working day more active with these steps

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.

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