A unique study is being performed by ukactive and Sport England to understand what workplaces need to support employees with being more active. The preliminary research has found that from mid-July to mid-September 2020 found that 1.4 million adults were getting less than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week during the easing of restrictions.
The joint research will allow employers, the physical activity sector, and the Government to understand how to better support businesses with clear recommendations. Often overlooked, the consultation will also look at SMEs, micro-businesses, and other businesses that are not office-based to see whether there are ways to improve their working environments.
The study comes as it becomes increasingly obvious that workplaces need to be more flexible about their arrangements. It will also give organisations in the sector an opportunity to provide evidence and ideas on how to meet the challenges of businesses that may be finding it difficult to modernise to produce better fitness and wellbeing outcomes.
Alex Lucas, Senior Research Analyst at ukactive, said:
“Supporting workplaces, especially smaller ones, on this journey is vital, and the best way to get there is to continue to capture evidence demonstrating what works, what doesn’t work, and what support is needed to expand physical activity opportunities.”
To follow the research as it progresses, see here.