National Fitness Day on 25 September is the UK’s biggest celebration of physical activity, highlighting how fitness is ‘Powered by You!’ Daisy James explains that, for employers and HR professionals, it’s a timely reminder that empowering employees to prioritise fitness helps support not only staff but also businesses through improved productivity, reduced absence, and stronger engagement.
In this article, we look at how to encourage fitness in the workplace with the best strategies to get your people moving more often.
Why fitness matters at work
Healthier employees: Regular physical activity reduces the risk of chronic illnesses such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. According to the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, physical inactivity costs the UK an estimated £7.4bn annually, including £900 million in the NHS. By encouraging fitness in the workplace, employers can play a role in reducing these health risks while supporting long-term employee wellbeing.
Better stress management and mental resilience: In the UK, 79% of adults experience stress at least once a month, with 74% feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope at some point in the past year. Exercise is proven to reduce levels of stress hormones like cortisol, while increasing endorphins that boost mood and resilience. For employees, this means being better equipped to manage workplace pressures and maintain productivity even during challenging periods.
Improved sleep and relaxation: Regular physical activity has been shown to improve both sleep quality and duration, which has a positive impact on mood, productivity, short-term health and longer-term health outcomes. Better sleep also reduces the likelihood of burnout, which is a growing concern across UK workplaces.
Increase in energy levels: It may sound counterintuitive, but being active increases energy levels rather than depleting them. Exercise improves circulation and oxygen delivery to the brain, supporting sharper decision-making and sustained concentration. This increases energy levels and cognitive function, so employees are likely to feel more alert during the day (with or without that morning coffee!)
Where HR comes in
Employees are ultimately responsible for their own health, but HR leaders and managers are the catalysts who make wellbeing part of working life. The reality is that, without supportive structures, the best intentions can fall flat. HR teams play a pivotal role in removing barriers, shaping culture, and making healthy choices easy. That means going beyond listing a set of benefits on an intranet page and instead creating the conditions for fitness to thrive every day.
This is where National Fitness Day’s theme “Powered by You” becomes so relevant. The theme recognises that movement is personal, flexible, and driven by individual choices. At work, those choices are heavily influenced by what’s made possible and encouraged by employers. Employees will rarely prioritise wellbeing if it feels like an add-on or an afterthought. But when organisations weave fitness opportunities into daily routines whether during breaks, after shifts, or through flexible benefits, activity becomes accessible, normalised, and culturally reinforced.
It’s not about prescribing a one-size-fits-all fitness plan. It’s about giving employees the tools and freedom to find what works for them. Some may want access to a nearby gym, others might prefer lunchtime walking groups, yoga classes, or the flexibility to manage work around personal activity. By empowering these decisions, HR teams turn wellbeing from a policy into a practice.
Five ways to encourage increased fitness and activity at work
1. Encourage workplace wellness with fitness and advocates: Fitness advocates, influential figures who champion fitness and wellbeing, can significantly increase employee engagement in fitness both at work and in personal time. Select fitness advocates from throughout your organisation, and support them in sharing their own fitness stories, providing tips and encouragement to participate, and promoting in-house initiatives.
2. Successful workplace initiatives for promoting fitness at work: What kind of workplace initiatives would be suitable for your workplace and workforce? Ideas include fitness-as-a-benefit (such as discounted gym memberships), walking meetings, or flexible working schedules to encourage activity during daylight hours.
3. How flexible working can build a culture of fitness and wellbeing: Flexible hours or remote work options can really help employees build more fitness into their daily routines. Help people look after their health without compromising their professional responsibilities by offering a flexible fitness benefit, such as a multi-gym membership that suits every individual and their varied working patterns.
4. Using internal sessions and webinars to increase workplace wellness: Work with external partners to deliver educational sessions or team-building activities focused on fitness and wellbeing. Topics could include nutrition, stress management, or exercise techniques for common musculoskeletal issues.
5. Best-practice marketing of workplace fitness benefits: Make sure all your employees are aware of the fitness benefits available to them. Use internal communications channels for promoting fitness in the workplace, including your corporate benefits, gym access, wellness programmes, and health incentives. Ensure every employee knows who your fitness champions are.
National Fitness Day reminds us that movement is for everyone, and the Powered by You theme highlights how personal choices fuel collective wellbeing. As Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, notes, regular exercise not only supports mental health and quality of life, but also strengthens our workforce and economy. For employers, this is a call to action. Supporting employee fitness is no longer a “nice to have,” it’s a strategic priority that drives engagement, reduces absence, and fosters a culture of energy and resilience.
Whether through flexible gym access, wellbeing champions, or initiatives that make movement part of the working day, HR teams and managers have the power to shape healthier workplaces. By embedding fitness into everyday routines, you create an environment where employees thrive and businesses flourish. Ultimately, the more you empower your people to move, the more your organisation will move forward.
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