What the updated physical activity guidelines mean for your workforce

When it comes to health, wellbeing and exercise the conversation is evolving. The latest update to the UK Chief Medical Officers’ physical activity guidelines puts a stronger focus on something refreshingly simple: moving more, more often[1].

For business owners and HR leaders, this updated guidance offers practical insight into how small changes can deliver meaningful benefits for both people and performance in the workplace.

A more inclusive approach to movement

One of the biggest shifts outlined in the guidance is the recognition that you don’t need to hit the 150-minute weekly target to see benefits. In fact, it suggests that the greatest improvements in health come when people move from inactivity to doing something.

Jonathan Kibble, Vitality’s Head of Exercise and Physical Activity, explains that “every movement counts”.

He says: “The biggest gains in health and wellbeing come from helping people go from doing nothing to doing something – even if that’s just a short walk or breaking up long periods of sitting.”

In today’s workplace, where sedentary behaviour is common, encouraging small, manageable changes such as walking meetings can play a meaningful role in improving overall health.

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Small changes, significant impacts

The updated Government guidelines also recognise the importance of light activity, such as walking, gardening or everyday movement, which can be easier to integrate into busy working days.

This comes at a time where there is growing evidence around the risks of prolonged sitting, even for people who meet weekly exercise targets.

Brits now spend 35 hours a week sitting, with 42% of homeworkers saying they only get up to use the toilet, answer the door or eat[2]. As Dr Yvonne Umebuani Beresford, Commercial Medical Director, at Vitality says, “Sitting for long stretches can slow blood flow and increase blood pressure, which is why breaking up sedentary time with regular movement is so important.”

For employers, this highlights the need to rethink how the working day is structured to give employees the flexibility to get up and active throughout the day. “Sitting less is just as important as exercising more,” Kibble explains. “Breaking up long periods of sedentary time can have a meaningful impact on both physical and mental health,” he adds.

This doesn’t require large-scale programmes. Simple interventions such as encouraging movement breaks, promoting active travel, or redesigning office spaces can help employees build healthier habits over time.

Why movement matters for your business

The case for supporting physical activity goes well beyond individual wellbeing. Data from the Britain’s Healthiest Workplace report shows a clear link between employee health and productivity, with poor physical and mental health directly impacting performance through absenteeism and presenteeism.

In fact, UK employees lost the equivalent of 49.7 days of productive time in 2023 due to ill health[3].

Even more striking, presenteeism accounts for around 90% of this lost productivity[3], highlighting the hidden cost of employees working while unwell. 

Physical inactivity plays a key role here. Employees who are physically inactive lose more productive time than their more active peers[3], reinforcing the business value of creating a culture that supports movement and exercise.

Creating an environment where movement matters

While many organisations already offer workplace wellbeing initiatives, engagement and low utilisation can be a challenge. Employees use only a fraction of the support available to them on average[3], despite increasingly expecting their employer to play a more active role in their health and wellbeing.

This highlights the importance of making health initiatives relevant, engaging and easy to access.

One practical way employers can approach is through initiatives like Employee Challenges, which is offered to businesses of any size with Vitality Business Health Insurance and Corporate Health Insurance. 

Built around simple, step-based activity, Challenges tap into the power of gamification and social accountability, by giving teams a shared goal and an easy reason to move more during the working week. 

And because it’s built on the Vitality platform, it integrates seamlessly with the broader health and rewards ecosystem. The more employees move, the more they benefit from all of the rewards in the Vitality Programme – giving them even more reason to engage and turn physical activity into a habit.

The results show that it works, with participants increasing their pre-challenge step activity by 37% and 95% of those who became more active saying they were likely to maintain their levels of activity into the future.

Ultimately, businesses that take a proactive approach to employee health stand to benefit the most. As the evidence shows, healthier employees are more productive and lose less working time, creating value for both individuals and organisations.

[1] UK Chief Medical Officers' physical activity guidelines - GOV.UK

[2] Research was conducted by Opinium of 2,000 people aged 18+ and based in the UK, in February 2026

[3] ’10 years of Britain’s Healthiest Workplace: The changing face of the UK at work’, Vitality, January 2025