Sedentary working is becoming a growing wellbeing and business risk. This article explores what the updated UK physical activity guidelines mean for employers, why long periods of sitting deserve more attention, and how HR teams and leaders can design more movement into the working day to support health, focus and sustainable performance.
“If physical activity were a drug, we would refer to it as a miracle cure, due to the great many illnesses it can prevent and treat.
“Regular physical activity can deliver cost savings for the health and care system and has wider social benefits for individuals and communities. These include increased productivity in the workplace.
There is clear evidence that even small increments such as taking the stairs rather than the lift, or walking to the shops can make a surprisingly large difference to our long term health and wellbeing if they become part of normal life.”
UK Chief Medical Officers
The UK Chief Medical Officers’ refreshed physical activity guidelines, released July 2026, offer a useful reminder for every workplace: some movement is good, more is better, and reducing long periods of sitting matters.
For many people, work is where long periods of sitting become part of the day. Desk-based roles, back-to-back online meetings, long shifts, screen-based tasks and the expectation to be “available” can all make it harder to move regularly. That raises an important question for employers: when does the amount of sitting required by work become a wellbeing, performance and potentially health and safety issue?
The answer starts with recognising that physical activity is not just a personal lifestyle choice. It is shaped by the design of work.
You can read the full guidelines hereThe updated UK guidance continues to recommend that adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity each week, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity, alongside muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days a week. It also gives more emphasis to light-intensity activity, strength and balance, and breaking up sedentary time where possible.
Moving more is beneficial for everyone; all age groups; all genders; and those with long term health conditions. Those of us who are inactive see the greatest benefits from even a small amount of extra movement, but everyone benefits from more movement, no matter how much. Regularity and variety of exercise is important too, from activities of daily living like housework, to low intensity exercise like walking or wheeling, moderate activity such as dancing or gardening, to more deliberate and vigorous activity like sport or gym. No matter how much exercise and activity we do, being still (or sedentary) is bad for us.
That last point feels particularly relevant for workplaces. People do not need to train for a marathon to benefit. Reducing sedentary time at work is important, but even breaking up sedentary periods with very short bouts of movement really helps. Standing up, wheeling or walking to speak to a colleague, taking the stairs, stretching between meetings or going outside for a short break can all contribute to better health when they become part of the rhythm of the working day.
Long periods of sitting can quietly become the norm. In some roles, people may spend most of the day at a workstation, then move from work to another screen at home. Over time, that pattern can affect physical health, energy, concentration and mood.
This is not about blaming individuals for failing to move enough. If someone’s diary is packed with consecutive meetings, if there is no permission to take breaks, if workloads make movement feel like lost time, or if the environment discourages leaving the desk, then inactivity has been designed into the job.
That is why employers should think about sedentary time as part of a broader workplace wellbeing and risk conversation. Risk assessments already consider physical hazards, equipment and working environments. For sedentary roles, the amount of uninterrupted sitting and the barriers to movement should be part of the same practical thinking.
“The report also highlights the risks of inactivity and sedentary behaviour for health. There have been notable developments in the evidence base for the health effects of sedentary time in adults, with research suggesting sitting time is associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and cancer risk and survivorship. Similar effects are seen in children where sedentary behaviour is associated with lower cardiovascular fitness and obesity. In all groups, the relationships of sedentary behaviour and health occur independently of moderate to vigorous physical activity for some health outcomes. Prolonged sitting is harmful, even in people who achieve the recommended levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity.”
UK Physical Activity Guidelines 2026
Active workers are shown to have to outperform inactive colleagues by around one to two weeks every year through reduced absence and presenteeism. Increasing physical activity is also linked to improved mental health and performance, boosting general cognitive function, attention span, focus and memory. Even short movement breaks during day provide a mental boost.
A practical starting point is to encourage people to stand up and move away from their work area for around five minutes each hour where their role allows. This is not a substitute for wider physical activity, but it can help reduce prolonged sedentary periods and support concentration, energy and focus.
Encouragement alone is rarely enough, though. To make movement feel normal, organisations need to look at the culture and systems around work. Leaders and managers can role-model short breaks. Meeting norms can include walking calls, shorter default meeting lengths or protected transition time. Workspaces can make movement easier. Teams can agree practical ways to pause, stretch or reset without guilt.
The best approaches are inclusive and flexible. Not everyone moves in the same way, and not every role has the same freedom. The goal is not to impose one behaviour, but to remove avoidable barriers and create more opportunities for people to move in ways that are realistic, safe and helpful for them.
For employers, the opportunity is to connect physical wellbeing to the wider conditions that help people have a Good Day at Work. That means understanding how work patterns, leadership, workload, environment and team norms affect people’s ability to look after their health while doing their job well.
Robertson Cooper’s Good Day at Work Assessment can help organisations understand the relationship between wellbeing, health and performance in their workforce. Our Wellbeing for High-Performing Teams Pathway supports teams to build habits and working practices that help people sustain both wellbeing and results.
Wellbeing for High-Performing Teams PathwayThe refreshed physical activity guidelines are a useful prompt for employers to review how work is organised. If movement is treated as something employees must squeeze around the edges of an overfull day, many will struggle. If movement is built into the working day, it becomes part of a healthier, more focused and more human way of working which benefits individuals and employers. An active day at work is a Good Day at Work.
Certificate No: 468402025