Make Movement Mandatory

We know the science. Exercise isn’t just about fitness it’s about mental clarity, productivity, longevity, and overall well-being. Yet, modern work culture has designed jobs that actively cripple the very people who keep businesses running.

Sitting for 8+ hours a day is a slow form of self-destruction. The body stagnates, the mind dulls, and health deteriorates. The evidence is overwhelming chronic sitting leads to increased risks of heart disease, diabetes, depression, anxiety, and even premature death. And yet, we continue to ignore it.

As an employer, if I create a position that limits a person’s movement, then I also inherit the responsibility to counteract those negative effects. Because hiring someone shouldn’t mean harming them.

Why Exercise in the Workplace Should Be Non-Negotiable

Imagine if we told factory workers to inhale toxic fumes all day without providing masks. That would be unacceptable. Yet, we let employees sit in one spot for hours, knowing full well that inactivity is just as damaging if not worse over time.

We can’t force people to drop and do push-ups every hour, but we can create an environment that makes movement natural, accessible, and encouraged.

What if walking meetings became standard?What if movement breaks were built into

the workday just as essential as lunch?

What if standing desks and active workstations were the default, not the luxury?

This isn’t just a nice perk it’s social responsibility.

The Cost of Inaction: Sick Employees, Low Productivity, and Burnout

Ignoring movement isn’t just an employee problem it’s a business problem.

Health Decline = Higher Insurance Costs

Companies bleed money in healthcare expenses for preventable conditions caused by sedentary lifestyles.

Burnout and Mental Fog = Less Productivity

A workforce that isn’t moving is a workforce that isn’t thinking clearly, isn’t engaged, and isn’t performing at its best.

Turnover = Losing Good People

When work is physically and mentally exhausting (and not in the way that challenges growth), people quit. Period.

Employers can’t keep pretending this isn’t their issue. If the job environment is the cause of the problem, then the employer must be part of the solution.

Making Movement Mandatory Without Forcing It

We don’t need to create a workplace boot camp. But we do need to shift the culture.

Scheduled movement breaks just like scheduled meetings. Not optional, not an afterthought.

Workspaces that promote activity standing desks, treadmill desks, stretching areas, and outdoor workspaces.

 Incentives for movement challenges, rewards, and integrating exercise into the workday without guilt or stigma.

Leadership that sets the tone if the CEO never moves, no one else will. If leadership prioritizes well-being, the rest of the company follows.

This isn’t about micromanaging people’s habits it’s about recognising that work shouldn’t make people sick.

If we design jobs that restrict movement, then we have a duty to ensure those jobs don’t come at the cost of human health. The responsibility isn’t just personal it’s professional. It’s ethical. And ultimately, it’s just good business.