Being active at work looks different depending on roles and settings. Small, practical actions that fit into most working days include:

• Standing up or moving every 30–60 minutes
• Walking during phone calls or informal conversations
• Holding walking or standing meetings where practical
• Using breaks to step outside, even briefly
• Walking between buildings, sites or local meetings

These small changes support health without affecting productivity and can be adapted across office‑based, frontline and community roles.

Active travel means walking, wheeling or cycling — or combining movement with other forms of transport. It doesn’t need to replace car or bus journeys entirely — even short or part-journeys count.

Examples include:

• Walking or cycling for all or part of the journey to and from work
• Parking a little further away or getting off public transport one stop earlier
• Walking or wheeling to nearby locations during the working day
• Using active travel for short work journeys where practical

Active travel helps build regular movement into daily life and connects workplaces with local places and services.

When working from home, movement can easily drop without being noticed. Building small habits into the day can help break up sitting and support wellbeing.

You could try:

• Taking a short walk before or after work to mark the start or end of the day
• Standing or walking between tasks
• Walking during online meetings that don’t need a screen
• Getting outside at least once during daylight hours

Movement at home is just as valuable as movement in traditional workplaces.

Helpful links

• Walking Scotland – Walking at work and when working from home

Employers play a key role in creating environments where movement is normal, supported and encouraged — whether staff work on‑site, remotely or across different locations.

Simple actions include:

• Encouraging regular breaks from sitting
• Normalising walking or standing meetings
• Supporting movement between sites or local services
• Making it easier to combine active travel with other transport
• Leading by example at manager and leadership level
• Considering movement as part of wellbeing, health and safety, and job design

Many effective approaches are low or no cost. Supporting movement helps people work comfortably and effectively — it does not reduce productivity.

Workplaces are one of several important settings within the Dumfries and Galloway Physical Activity Strategy, alongside communities, education, health and care, transport and the voluntary sector.

Supporting movement at, to and from work helps connect workplaces with active travel, local services and everyday places, contributing to a shared and coordinated approach across Dumfries and Galloway.

Employers and organisations are encouraged to get involved through the Physical Activity Strategy Forum, which brings partners together to support a whole‑system approach to increasing physical activity.

👉 Join the DG Doing More Physical Activity Strategy Forum

Support for employers and organisations

• Healthy Working Lives – Physical activity at work: Guidance, tools and resources to help employers support physical activity and reduce sitting at work
• Movement for Health Scotland – Active workplaces - Evidence, resources and tools to support workplace physical activity, particularly for people with long‑term conditions
• NICE Physical activity in the workplace – Physical activity in the workplace: Evidence‑based guidance for organisations supporting movement at work
• Sport England – Active Employee Toolkit: Practical tools and ideas to help employers support movement during the working day
• Walking Scotland – Walking Workplaces: Support for Scottish employers to build a walking‑friendly workplace culture, including practical guidance

For individuals, teams and home workers

• Walking Scotland – walking at work and when working from home: Simple, practical ideas to build more movement into the working day
• World Walking – free walking challenges for individuals, teams and workplaces: A free, inclusive way to encourage everyday walking at work or at home

Local routes, projects and active travel in Dumfries and Galloway

• Dumfries & Galloway Council – Active Travel: Local walking, wheeling and cycling projects, routes and strategy
• Walk Wheel Cycle Trust – National Cycle Network: UK‑wide walking, wheeling and cycling routes to support everyday journeys to, from and during work