Three-quarters of office workers only move from their desk during the day to make a cup of tea or go to the toilet, a study found (stock photo)
Three-quarters of office workers only move from their desk during the day to make a cup of tea or go to the toilet, a study found.
Two in five workers ate lunch at their desk and a fifth have put on at least a stone in the past year, research by audio communications firm Plantronics found.
The survey of 2,000 office workers revealed seven in ten felt spending all day sat at their desk was having a detrimental effect on their physical or emotional health – or both.
It found a third did less than an hour of exercise a week and 80 per cent wanted to fit more exercise into their daily routine.
More than half of workers felt they had gained weight or lost fitness because of spending too long in the office.
Around four in ten complained of constant back or neck aches, while three in ten felt constantly mentally drained from spending hours in front of a computer.
But more than half said they were ‘too busy’ to get up from their desks, while one in five said they felt they couldn’t leave in case the phone rang. One in ten never took a lunch break.
The average worker only gets up from their desk three times a day and spends just over four hours a day sitting continuously without getting up.
Paul Clark, of Plantronics, said: ‘The line between work and play has blurred in recent years thanks to the rise of flexible, mobile and remote working. However, as our stats show, office workers feel increasingly tied to their desks.’
Steven Ward, executive director of not-for-profit group ukactive, said: ‘Sedentary office environments are harming the health of millions of employees in the UK every day.
‘We all know it is much easier said than done to get up from our desks and move more – especially when those deadlines are looming – but this poll shows how urgently that needs to change.’
Faya Nilsson, who runs the Fitness on Toast blog, devised a series of exercises workers can do at their desks for Plantronics, including tricep dips using an office chair, press ups using a desk and squats using water bottles.
She said: ‘I understand how challenging it can be to take a break from busy work schedules and sitting at your desk, but it’s really important to move around.
‘A quick walk around the office or some light stretching of your back, arms or legs, all while on a call, can help make you feel more active and energised both mentally and physically.’
More than half said they were ‘too busy’ to get up from their desks, while one in five said they felt they couldn’t leave in case the phone rang
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