We often talk about safety in terms of hard hats, scaffolds, and guard rails. But there’s a quieter, more familiar risk sitting right in front of us — literally. And growing UK evidence is telling us it’s time we stop ignoring it.
The NHS, Public Health England (PHE), and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have all been ringing the bell on this: our increasingly sedentary working lives are slowly chipping away at our long-term health. The average UK adult now sits for around nine hours a day, and the consequences are stacking up — diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, musculoskeletal pain and even early death.
It’s not speculation anymore. Studies show sedentary workers can face double the risk of diabetes and heart disease compared to those who break up their sitting time.
And while we tend to think of this as an individual problem (stand up more, stretch a bit, get your steps in), the cost isn’t personal — it’s national. Prolonged sedentary behaviour is hitting the NHS for up to £0.8 billion a year.
Meanwhile, ONS data is showing the human impact behind those numbers: more than 2.5 million people are now economically inactive because of long-term sickness. Musculoskeletal issues, anxiety, depression — the very conditions we know can be made worse by long hours spent sitting at a desk.
So What Do We Do About It?
Let’s be honest: telling people “move more” is about as effective as telling workers “work safely” without giving them the right equipment. If we want change, we have to make it easier to change than not.
Break up the sitting — little and often
The NHS is clear: short, regular interruptions to sitting are far more beneficial than one big gym session.
PHE says the same — frequent small breaks beat long stretches of stillness every time.
Aim for 2–4 hours of standing or light activity every workday
PHE’s expert guidance recommends office workers spend up to half their working day on their feet or moving lightly.
Make standing the easy option
Sit–stand desks might once have looked eccentric, but they’re now backed by campaigns like Get Britain Standing and real UK research showing they stabilise blood sugar after meals and reduce sedentary time.
Make movement part of the job, not an interruption to it
Walking meetings. Standing phone calls. Regular short resets. These small behaviours cost nothing but can transform how we feel at 4pm.
Fix the environment, not just the people
A major UK review says the most effective approach combines personal habits with organisational and environmental changes — just like any meaningful safety culture shift.
Acknowledge the link with mental health and musculoskeletal pain
ONS data doesn’t mince words: long-term sickness involving both mental health and MSK issues is rising sharply, and sedentary behaviour is embedded in that picture.
Follow the UK physical activity guidelines
The Chief Medical Officers say we should aim for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity — but crucially, even meeting that target doesn’t cancel out eight hours of sitting.
The NHS reinforces this: physical activity is essential, but breaking up sitting time is non-negotiable.
A Call to Action — For All of Us
In health and safety, we’re used to tackling visible hazards. Sedentary work is trickier — nobody falls off a chair because they sat too long. But the long-term harm is real, and it’s preventable.
Just as we tell business leaders: every time you walk past something below standard, you set a new standard. And we have to apply that thinking here too.
This isn’t about yoga balls or step challenges. It’s about leadership, trust and culture — the same ingredients that drive every meaningful change in workplace safety.
If we genuinely want healthier, safer workplaces, then reducing sedentary time isn’t a “nice to have”.
It’s the next frontier.