Most of us know that sitting still for eight hours a day isn’t doing our bodies any favours, yet many UK workplaces are still built around static desks and long, uninterrupted stretches sat in front of a screen. In fact, according to research shared by the NHS, many adults in the UK now spend around 9 hours a day completely sedentary. An active office, however, prioritises health and wellbeing by encouraging small, regular movements throughout the day. Whether you manage a team and are looking for new ways to promote an active office or are simply looking to improve your own workstation, here is how you can build a more active and ergonomically sound office.
Table of Contents
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Key Takeaways
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What Does an Active Office Mean?
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Why Having an Active Office Matters More Than Ever
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How to Build an Active Office Strategy
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The Role of Ergonomic Assessments in an Active Office
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Getting Started with a More Active Office
Active Office: Key Takeaways
Promoting an active office means integrating natural movement into your and your team's daily routine to help combat the health risks that come with sitting for long periods of time. You can achieve this by alternating between sitting and standing while you work, adopting active ergonomic seating and adjusting your office layout to encourage short, regular walks. Ultimately, combining these daily movement habits with a professional DSE assessment ensures every workstation is tailored to the individual using it, helping to support the long-term wellbeing of your team.
What Does an Active Office Mean?
An active office is when you design a space and office culture where movement is built into the working day as a standard, rather than treated as an afterthought. This might include incorporating more ergonomic equipment into your workspace, such as an active chair to keep you moving or a sit-stand desk that allows you to work standing, or maybe simply reconfiguring furniture so staff naturally get up and move between tasks. The goal of an active office is to reduce the health risks that are associated with prolonged sitting, as well as supporting posture, circulation and concentration.
Why Having an Active Office Matters Now More Than Ever
The increase in hybrid and desk-based work has made sitting down for long periods of time the norm for a huge proportion of the UK workforce. This lack of activity can cause musculoskeletal discomfort, fatigue and reduced productivity, which is why the Health and Safety Executive expects employers to ensure display screen equipment (DSE) risks are managed through regular, expert DSE assessments. Good ergonomics isn’t just about comfort, it's a practical way to reduce absence, support long-term employee wellbeing and demonstrate a genuine duty of care to your team.
How to Build an Active Office Strategy
Creating a genuinely active office works best as a combination of implementing the right equipment, fostering an environment that supports the right habits, and ensuring workstations have an ergonomic layout.
Rethink How You Sit
The idea behind an active chair is simple, rather than locking the body into one fixed posture, a chair that allows gentle tilting or movement encourages the core and lower back to stay engaged throughout the day. But, this same principle applies even without new furniture, to make your standard office chair more active, you should change position regularly, avoid slumping and move regularly to avoid strain that builds from sitting too long. Learn more about how an ergonomic chair can transform the way you work.
Alternate Sitting and Standing
Alternating between sitting and standing, even informally, reduces the time spent in any single position and eases pressure on your spine. While a sit-stand desk is a great way to promote an active office, there are things you can do if you can’t invest in a new piece of furniture. For example, you can take calls standing up or use a higher surface such as a counter for short tasks (as long as you aren’t forced to hunch), or simply changing position every so often all helps to maintain an active workplace.
Redesign Office Layout
The layout of your workspace could be a driving factor in inactiveness in the office. Open, uncluttered spaces with clear walkways make it far easier for people to get up and stretch, or walk to a colleague's desk instead of just sending a message from their desk. Where possible, you should also position printers, kitchens and meeting rooms slightly further from the desks so employees can take short, natural walks to and from their desks throughout the day.
Encourage Regular Movement and Desk Breaks
Incorporating a healthy, proactive mindset when it comes to movement in the office is crucial in ensuring your office is active and ergonomic. A study by the CDC found that reducing sitting time by just over an hour a day can reduce upper back and neck pain by 54%, highlighting the importance of regular breaks and movement.
Encourage Everyday Activity in and Out the Office
Posture, layout and equipment only go so far without encouraging healthy habits for yourself or your team. Whether it’s through active team-building sessions, company sports teams or incentives for out-of-work activity, encouraging everyday activity for employees helps to create a stronger, healthier and happier teamÂ
The Role of Ergonomic Assessments in an Active Office
Every employee's needs are different, so it's important to have workstations properly assessed rather than guessing what will help. A DSE assessment or ergonomic assessment considers many factors such as desk height, chair support, screen position and individual working habits, then recommends practical adjustments. These recommendations could be along the lines of suggesting a new working posture, providing tips on working habits or, if needed, suggesting a new piece of ergonomic office equipment. Getting this right early on reduces the risk of discomfort developing into a long-term issue and ensures any changes made are genuinely suited to the people using them.
Getting Started with a More Active Office
Building an active office doesn’t need to happen overnight, and it doesn’t have to start with an expensive shopping list. Start by reviewing how you or your team currently works, encourage small movement habits that fit naturally into the day and think about where posture or layout could be improved. Over time, these small changes can add up to a healthier, more comfortable and productive workplace.
At Insight Ergonomics, we work with businesses across the UK to understand what’s actually needed before recommending anything. If you would like an objective view of where your workplace could improve, our specialist team is ready to carry out a thorough DSE assessment.