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As we reported, research indicates that many employees may not sense sufficient encouragement from their workplaces, which in turn may reduce their inclination to stay fit.

Workplace Insight reports: “The majority of UK employees (61 percent) do not feel encouraged by their employer to lead an active lifestyle, despite most managers agreeing that exercise positively impacts employees’ productivity (78 percent) and their ability to handle stress (82 percent) claims new research from AXA PPP healthcare.”

Further: “Sixty-two percent of employees with good intentions to exercise at work find they’re cancelling their lunchtime exercise plans due to workload or work commitments.”

Now a new report from Workplace Insight provide additional incentive for employers to focus on helping employees remain active in the office — especially those with roles that require sitting at a desk.

The headline states: “Nearly a quarter of workers claim work is biggest barrier to being more physically active.”

The piece reports: “Work is the biggest barrier to taking regular exercise a new survey suggests, with 20 percent of people citing being too busy with work as the reason why they are not more physically active. The research, which is published by not-for-profit health body ukactive to mark today’s National Fitness Day 2017 also reveals that only 1 in 10 adults (12 percent) know NHS recommended physical activity guidelines and well over half of Brits spend at least six hours each day sitting down.”

The research also shows how increasing exercise not only can help reduce or manage chronic illness, but also can help address rising health costs.

Workplace Insight writes: “Meeting the recommended 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise each week can lead to significant health benefits – including a 40 percent reduced risk of type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (by 35 percent), dementia (by 30 percent) and some cancers (by 20 percent) – but millions of adults are falling short of this.”

Said Steven Ward, CEO of ukactive: “Physical inactivity is society’s silent killer and the best way to keep it at bay is to get up on our feet and enjoy the thrill of being active.”

Professor Sir Muir Gray CBE, Chief Knowledge Officer to the NHS, is quoted by Workplace Insight: “Physical inactivity is society’s silent killer and even short bouts of being sedentary can lead to deadly diseases. People often think exercise is only for young people, but older adults are the people who stand to gain most from the mental, social and physical benefits of being active.”