• Home
• What is it
  • Why it was created
  • What we mean by ways2work
  • What it does
  • Who it's for
  • How to use it
  • The people behind it
  • Who has contributed
• Why do it
  • Reduce costs, improve resource efficiency
  • Reduce absence, improve productivity
  • Reduce carbon emissions, improve your reputation
• How to do it
  • Re-thinking commuting
  • Re-thinking business travel
  • Measuring and monitoring carbon impacts
  • Creating your ways2work plan
  • Creating a healthy workplace
• Who does it
• News
• Resources
• Members

• Reduce costs, improve resource efficiency
• Reduce absence, improve productivity
  • Reasons for inactivity
  • Costs of inactivity
  • Cars and casualties - driving to, from and for work
• Reduce carbon emissions, improve your reputation

Costs of inactivity

According to the Department of Health (2004), our society is paying a high price for this decline in exercise:

• Physical inactivity now costs an estimated £8.2bn a year in England, including the direct costs of treating diseases that are linked to lack of exercise and the indirect costs caused through sickness absence (NICE)
• The cost of obesity is estimated at up to £3.7 billion per year
• The cost of obesity plus overweight is estimated at up to £7.4 billion per year
• Obesity costs businesses £1.45 billion annually in sickness-related absence
• Cardiovascular disease stemming from physical inactivity costs businesses £8.4 billion in lost productivity

By helping employees to be less car dependent – perhaps through the provision of facilities for walkers and cyclists such as showers, drying rooms for wet weather gear, cycle storage, cycle loans and support facilities – people can build activity into their daily commute thereby improving their health and their productivity whilst reducing transport impacts on workplaces and carbon emissions associated with their journey to work.

Making it easier for colleagues to use public transport to get to work or setting up a car sharing scheme can all help take the stress and strain out of commuting.

Equally, through alternative and flexible working policies and greater use of information technology to reduce commuting and business travel we can all improve our health, motivation, morale and business engagement - and have the additional time we crave to do more exercise!