How to support healthy habits for desk-based workers

Desk workers typically spend long hours sitting down, which can cause physical health problems, including back pain and other musculoskeletal issues, eye strain, obesity, heart disease and reduced circulation. Sitting for prolonged periods can also affect their mental health, leading to increased stress and reduced mental clarity.

NHS guidelines recommend that desk workers avoid prolonged sitting to improve their physical health, while research also suggests that spending more time moving has numerous benefits for their mental health.

The healthy habits that will most benefit desk workers are similar to those that will help everyone create a healthy lifestyle. However, some are particularly important for staff whose work requires prolonged sitting. These healthy habits will help your team stay healthy.

Physical activity

Regular physical activity is vital to staying healthy and should be a priority for workers with a sedentary lifestyle. Exercise helps keep the body healthy and reduces some of the risks associated with sedentary work. It can also benefit your business.

Research suggests that people who exercise regularly have better quality sleep, which improves their focus, concentration and ability to process information. Healthy employees are also less likely to take time off due to illness. Encouraging regular movement throughout the day and other forms of physical exercise positively impacts your team's health and well-being and your business's success.

Good posture

Prolonged sitting can lead to poor posture, which is linked to various health issues, including reduced circulation, back pain and headaches. Proper posture can help to alleviate structural problems in the spine and improve breathing, which can help increase energy levels. Improved posture can even boost your employees' mood.

Regular breaks can help with proper posture, allowing workers to move around and avoid prolonged periods in the same position. Good posture when working at a desk can also prevent eye strain and repetitive strain injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Eating well

Eating a balanced diet is vital to good health and can lead to better productivity at work. Eating well improves mood, concentration and attention span, while the reverse is true of a poor diet. Government statistics suggest that poor nutrition among workers in the UK causes 97 million lost working days per year, either through sickness absence or reduced productivity. This equates to £17 billion in lost revenue, with unhealthy lifestyles costing the UK economy approximately £60 billion annually.

Encouraging your team to develop healthy eating habits makes sense for their well-being and your business.

Regular breaks

Taking regular breaks can improve your employees' mental and physical health, encourage movement, prevent eye strain, and promote positive mental well-being. As we've mentioned, good nutrition is essential for health and taking breaks enables your team to eat well.

Taking a proper lunch break lets your staff go for a walk or spend time outside, which benefits physical and mental health. Time spent in nature can alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, while exposure to natural light improves mood, especially if your staff have seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

However, shorter breaks are also beneficial. Looking away from your screen regularly can prevent eye strain. NHS guidelines recommend taking a two-minute break for every 30 minutes at a desk. Workers could use short breaks to release tension by rolling their shoulders, doing some desk push-ups or going for a short walk around the office.

Your business can support healthy habits in various ways. Suppose your team use display screen equipment (DSE). In that case, your business is legally required to carry out a workstation assessment to ensure the desk, chair, and equipment are suitable for the task, properly adjusted, and suitable for the employee using it. The HSE has useful guidance on DSE assessments and when to carry them out.

Here are a few ways to go above and beyond your statutory responsibilities and promote healthy habits in your workplace.

Create a company culture that encourages regular breaks

Your company culture sets the tone when it comes to health and well-being. Your workers are much more likely to take a lunch break if they see managers and team leaders doing the same. Providing a comfortable room where staff can store food and relax encourages them to take time away from their desks. You can also arrange lunchtime activity sessions, which we'll discuss shortly.

Flexible working arrangements

Flexible working arrangements are an excellent way to promote staff well-being as they help your team create a positive work-life balance and can help reduce stress.

However, they can also help office workers to become more physically active. For example, adjusted working hours or time working from home could give your team time to go out for a run before or after work during daylight hours. Alternatively, an extended lunch hour lets employees go to a fitness class.

Offer standing desks

A standing desk, also known as a sit-stand desk, is adjustable, meaning employees can raise or lower their desks and change their position throughout the day. They can alternate between a seated and standing position according to their comfort level or the task they're working on. Most standing desks use electronic or mechanical controls to make them easy to operate.

Research suggests that using standing desks can reduce neck and shoulder pain and increase engagement and productivity, which suggests they're worth trialling in your business.

If a standing desk isn't a practical option for some of your staff, consider providing an ergonomic chair so they can sit in a comfortable position.

Employee health insurance

Group health insurance gives your employees quick access to private medical treatment and can support your team in developing healthy habits. Most health insurance providers include employee health assessments in their business policies. Assessments give employees information on their health and guidance to create a healthy lifestyle.

You'll also receive anonymised data showing common health issues amongst your staff and help to develop workplace wellness initiatives.

Workplace wellness initiatives

A workplace wellness initiative focuses on a single goal to improve your team's well-being. You can design an initiative encouraging staff to sit less and move more, including rewards for workers who set and achieve their goals.

Most health insurance companies have a rewards program, many of which reward members for increased activity. Linking wellness initiatives to your medical insurance can be an easy way to reward employees. You can also introduce a challenge element to motivate employees.

Support healthy eating

We've mentioned supporting staff to take breaks to encourage healthy eating, but you can go a step further by providing nutritious food. A staff canteen with subsidised healthy meals may not be practical, but you could consider providing free healthy snacks in staffrooms. Lunchtime cooking lessons where participants eat the results can also demonstrate healthy recipes staff can cook in their free time.

Promote physical activity

Lunchtime activity sessions are a great way to encourage your team to get into the habit of spending time away from their desks. A lunchtime walking group lets employees take walking breaks and explore their surroundings. Alternatively, arrange office-based activities such as yoga or Pilates in a meeting room. Health insurance reward schemes often offer discounted gym memberships, and many health club chains offer corporate memberships so your employees can use their facilities free of charge or at a reduced cost. Also, consider arranging walking meetings when circumstances allow.

Finally, you can encourage active commuting through the cycle-to-work scheme.

Prevent eye strain

Eye strain can cause headaches or long-term sight issues, so it's wise to help employees prevent this. Providing employees with information on avoiding eye strain helps them develop healthy habits in and out of the office. The 20, 20, 20 rule recommends looking away from your screen every 20 minutes, for at least 20 seconds, and at a point at least 20 feet away.

You must also provide all staff using display screens with regular eye tests. This also allows them to seek advice on symptoms such as dry eyes.

If you'd like to learn more about how health insurance can help you support healthy habits among your desk-based office workers, contact us for a comparison quote. Globacare's specialist brokers provide tailored advice to help you find the right insurance products to support your team.