Making remote work healthy

Health and well-being are crucial aspects of all of our lives, and it’s increasingly clear that work plays a major part in things.

I’m sure we can all appreciate that work can stress us out, but its impact can be far subtler than that. For instance, a recent study from the University of Cambridge found that our first job has a marked impact on our activity levels.

The study found that when we start working, our physical activity levels spike. Unfortunately, this doesn’t last, and our activity levels decrease over time. What’s more, that first job also has a negative impact on our sleep, which doesn’t really recover and stays at a lower level.

The boost was significant, equivalent to around 30 minutes of moderate exercise, before falling by around seven minutes per day in every subsequent year. The boost was particularly pronounced among men, and perhaps obviously, in those doing manual work. Indeed, the gains for manual workers compensated for no real change among office workers or those working from home.

“Starting work has a big impact on how we live,” the researchers explained. “Many people become more active at first, but this doesn’t last. Those working from home or in sedentary jobs are particularly at risk of losing out on exercise.”

There are also evident issues around work-life balance, as while many of those working remotely love the flexibility and have been found to work more than they would in the office (due in large part to the lack of commute time), there remain potential issues around boundaries and a healthy work-life balance.

"Most importantly, the awareness about boundaries—when do I start, when do I stop, when is it healthy to say, ‘Hey, right now I’m not working, I’m disconnecting’?” says remote working advocate Nadia Harris. “I think those are the things that are unsaid, and that’s what’s causing the clash."

Making work healthy

So, what can we do to make remote work more healthy? After all, not only is it well known that exercise is great for warding off long-term illnesses like diabetes and heart disease, but it’s also proven to make us more productive and better able to manage stress. Guidelines suggest we should be getting around 150 minutes of physical activity per week, but it’s estimated that knowledge workers spend around 75% of their time sitting down.

While previous research has suggested no material difference between physical activity levels among remote workers and their office-based peers, a recent survey of remote workers in the UK found that half are moving less frequently than they ordinarily would in the office.

Just as employers often deploy digital tools to keep tabs on the work people do when operating remotely, many also utilize technology to help ensure employees are active. Data from Allied Market Research puts the corporate wellness market at around $50 billion, and this will include wearable devices and gamified platforms to help encourage physical activity among the workforce.

A smarter workforce

This matters as research from the University of Manchester found that exergaming, such as the cycling application Zwift, can boost the cognitive function of players. It's also increasingly being seen as something that can provide value to a remote workforce that may not have access to more traditional forms of exercise.

"Exergames can help remote workers to overcome many of the barriers associated with location-independent working," says Coventry University's Anthony Thompson in Agile Working and Wellbeing in the Digital Age. "For instance, multi-player exergames allow two or more users to move, compete or exercise together regardless of their geographical distance."

Thompson cites research suggesting a return on investment of around 30% for employers, due not only to the increased performance levels but also a reduction in employee turnover and absenteeism. There are also significant benefits in terms of team building and social connections.

Forging bonds

A key argument against remote work is that it leads to excessive isolation, which not only harms the career prospects of those involved but can also lead to a wide range of mental health issues associated with loneliness and a lack of connection with our peers.

“The loneliness epidemic can be exacerbated by remote work,” says Oxford University’s Carl Frey. “Unless we rebuild social ties elsewhere in our communities, this can be a real issue for both individuals and teams.”

There is undoubtedly an element of truth to this. Indeed, research from Yale shows how our professional networks shrank in size during the pandemic. This was especially the case for men, who often rely on physical activity, such as a sports team or after-work drinks, to forge relationships.

The pandemic saw connections among men fall by a whopping 30%, with obvious implications both for their well-being and careers. While exergames might not be the silver bullet for rectifying this, they can certainly play a role, as can charitable endeavors, such as GoodGym, which combine physical activities with good deeds.

As with many aspects of the remote working debate, a decline in physical activity and mental health “could” be issues, but it’s far from a foregone conclusion, and with the right management, it’s possible to encourage and support greater activity in a way that also builds relationship and forms bonds between the team members. Whether that happens, of course, remains to be seen.