A new survey commissioned by Pure Gym, to mark Global Employee Health and Fitness Month (GEHFM), reveals that one third (35 per cent) of UK office workers fail to get the National Health Service recommended exercise quota of 150 minutes per week.
According to the NHS website, it’s advised that adults between the ages of 19-64 should take part in at least two and a half hours of moderate exercise each week. However, approximately one in three office employees in the UK are currently falling short of these guidelines, with just over two thirds (73 per cent) citing work pressures as a key contributing factor to this deficit.
Top reasons noted for this lack of activity include, stress at work (17 per cent), long commuting hours (15 per cent) and insufficient lunch breaks (14 per cent), more than a third (38 per cent) of office workers attributing their exercise short fall to work related tiredness and fatigue.
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Given the demanding nature of a 9-5 office job, it’s perhaps surprising to learn that just half (52 per cent) of UK employers offer organised and/or subsidised fitness services to staff, with only 23 per cent of office workers currently taking advantage of these schemes.
Francine Davis, strategic and commercial development director at Pure Gym says, ‘Regular exercise is not only proven to support overall health and wellbeing but there are also many workplace benefits, including increased energy levels and a reduced risk of stress and depression. It’s positive to see that just over half of UK employers are offering fitness subsidies however, there is a still a way to go to help encourage and enable staff to reach their weekly fitness requirements.’
In a bid to support office staff everywhere, Pure Gym have created a series of quick and easy exercise guides, designed to help workers reach their recommended weekly exercise quota.
Further reading on exercise
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