Time for exercise evades employees

More than one in three (35%) office workers are too busy to take time out for health and wellbeing activities that could benefit them now and later in life, according to new research by Age UK and Bupa.

The survey found that more than a third (35%) of people whose work is mainly office based spend just an hour or less on physical exercise per week, with nearly one in 10 admitting (9%) they do no exercise at all. Activities that can have a positive impact on wellbeing, such as reading a book or doing a crossword, are also being squeezed, with nearly half (48%) devoting time to such activities.

Taking breaks to manage stress comes at the biggest price for time-poor office workers, with more than half (52%) admitting to spending no time at all on mental wellbeing activities such as practising mindfulness, meditation, or other stress-relieving activities. Despite the toll stress can take on the mind and body now and in the future, just under a third (27%) make an effort to recognise the signs of strain and take action to deal with it.

Office workers, however, are trying to find ways to incorporate activities they feel improve their health and wellbeing into their daily lifestyle, with more than half (53%) opting to take the stairs instead of the lift and a third (33%) making time to visit friends and family part of their daily routine.

The good news is that among the general UK population there is an appetite to prepare for a healthy life, with the majority of people surveyed (65%) saying they would like to make changes to their current lifestyle. Of those who are taking action to follow a healthy lifestyle, almost two thirds (64%) are doing so to reduce the risk of any future conditions. Among the worries people have about growing older, dementia was revealed as the top concern (55%), followed by physical ill health (52%) and loss of mobility (48%).