We know that sitting in front of a computer screen all day doesn’t do our health any favours, but recent research published in The Lancet has again highlighted the true cost of a sedentary lifestyle: those who sit for eight hours a day have up to a 60 per cent higher risk of dying prematurely compared with those who exercise for an hour daily. For businesses, the cost of poor health is lower productivity, which is why the issue has found its way into the boardroom and subsequently into the workplace.

But telling employees to exercise at the start or end of their day isn’t a realistic solution. Nudging them in the right direction by providing workplace initiatives and a healthier environment is much more feasible. We’ve seen a rise in employers and landlords promoting wellness within the office itself. This goes far beyond subsidising gym memberships; very often it’s changing the very way the office is designed.

Barclays, for instance, has launched spin classes across many of its offices. Lasting 10 minutes, exercise takes place in short 40 second bursts – apparently not long enough to build up a sweat so employees don’t need to change (one of the frequently mentioned reasons for not exercising during office hours) – in soundproof pods situated within the main office.

The Alphabeta building (above) in Finsbury Square is an example of an office where wellness is at the core of its design. It has a cycle-in ramp, so employees can cycle in directly from the street, and incorporates a basketball court. Hotel chains like Hyatt and Marriott, meanwhile, have introduced treadmill desks in common areas so people can switch between using them and normal desks.

Treadmill and standing desks have rocketed in profile recently as evidence has emerged that they burn more calories, improve posture and encourage greater movement than standard desks. Adoption, however, remains low and – according to our What Workers Want research – a key challenge is worker antipathy. Of 1,132 office workers polled, 49 per cent say they’d use a standing desk ‘always’, ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’, while 48 per cent say they’d use one ‘rarely’ or ‘never’. 54 per cent of women would be willing to use a standing desk ‘sometimes’ or more frequently compared to 46 per cent of men. 25-34 year olds seem to be most open to standing, with 51 per cent responding positively to the prospect of using such a desk.

Percentage of workers willing to use a standing desk:

Source: Savills What Workers Want

For organisations looking to introduce standing desks there’s clearly work to do in selling the benefits to their workforce, but the key is giving employees a choice. Forcing standing desks on suspicious staff with various fitness levels won’t work, but introducing desks which can be adjusted between standing and sitting will give the half of the workforce who say they are willing to stand regularly an opportunity to start reaping the benefits.

Looking back to when smoking within the open office was acceptable, it’s clear that we’ve come a long way. The office has moved from being a environment which could actively endanger health, through one that – at best - had a neutral impact, to one that could actually have a positive bearing on health.

Further information

Read more: Choice, space and getting the basics right

Search for a commercial property