Since returning to the office in a full-time capacity, many employees have started working out more. This is according to a new report from fitness company RunRepeat, which polled almost 2,500 workers who recently returned to the office.
The company split the respondents into multiple groups; those that worked out up to two times a week, three times a week, and four times a week. The first two groups increased the frequency of exercise significantly when they returned to the office (by 125 and 38 percent respectively), while the third group took it down a notch (down by 14 percent).
Of those that did not work out at all during the pandemic, more than half (59 percent) have now started to exercise, managing at least 2 sessions a week (2.64 on average).
Although it doesn't appear to make sense that people have increased the frequency of workouts since returning to the office, given the time taken up by commuting, the report offers a theory. According to RunRepeat, going back to the office signals a “return to normalcy”, bringing back familiar structure, routine and lifestyle for many.
A lot has been said about the negative effects of remote working on mental health, and now there are additional insights into the effect on physical health as well.