Transform Your Employees' Everyday Work

1. Insights on European Companies’ current practices, challenges and needs in order to provide physical activities in the workplace* — Erasmus+ project Move@Work : Deliverable 2.1 (2023)

Study summary — Executive summary (extract)

Representatives of 20 companies/federations/ministries or municipalities of different nationalities were interviewed: five Danish, 4 Dutch, 6 French, 2 Belgian and 3 Swiss companies. SMEs as well as large companies were represented and, where possible, interviews were split into separate SME and large-company groups.

Key findings

• Physical activity is more than physical exercise and sport, and yet many companies have a limited and narrow understanding of physical activity (often equating it with sport or organised exercise), which makes it harder for them to implement more strategic workplace initiatives.
• The social aspects of physical activity matter to companies. For some, these factors are even more important than the health benefits. Physical activity (often equated with sport) is perceived by companies as fostering new relationships, cohesion and team spirit, belonging to the company, networking, the smoothing over of undesirable hierarchical status, and the development of leadership skills by employees.
• Company culture and values have a major impact on how companies integrate physical activities. Many companies attach importance to flexibility, volunteering and their employees' work-life balance. Some participants feared that introducing physical activities in the workplace could compromise these values.
• Some companies do not prioritise physical activities, as these are not part of their « raison d’être ». Others emphasise that they will invest in their employees' health, health being an asset the company will draw on to develop and grow.
• Evaluation is « là où ça coince » [where it gets stuck]. One challenge is knowing what to measure regarding participation in physical activity, how to measure it and why. Many companies have plenty of ideas on how to better support their employees' health. But they find evaluation and monitoring difficult and very time-consuming.

A few recommendations

• Promote physical activity as more than « just » sport
• Implement physical activity during office hours in employees' daily tasks
• Work with a captain or ambassador for physical activity promotion – social engagement increases participation
• Integrate and adapt physical activities to company culture and company values for long-term success
• Integrate physical activity as well as employee health and wellbeing as a crucial aspect of running the business (in motion)
• Provide companies with easy-to-apply monitoring and evaluation procedures
• Connect European companies to share knowledge and experience in the field of physical activities in the workplace

2. Eurobarometer 2026* – European Commission (September 2026)

Study summary

The Eurobarometer special survey on sport and physical activity is a series of in-depth thematic opinion surveys — in this case on sport and physical activity — through face-to-face or online interviews with a representative sample of the population in all EU Member States. The results allow the Commission to track trends over time, compare the situation between Member States and contribute to EU policy-making. The current survey is the sixth edition of the Eurobarometer special on sport and physical activity, the previous edition having been carried out in 2022. The Commission actively promotes sport and physical activity, recognising their fundamental role in physical and mental wellbeing. Regular and adequate physical activity is proven to bring substantial health benefits; it helps prevent, manage and recover from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and mental health disorders. Nevertheless, as the Eurobarometer survey reflects, sedentariness remains a major challenge across the EU.

Key findings — Practising physical activity

• The share of citizens who exercise several times a week has risen to 38% (up 6 percentage points), while the share of those who exercise almost daily has risen to 9% (up 3 percentage points). At the same time, the share of Europeans who never exercise or play sport has fallen from 45% in 2022 to 39% this year.

Where people are active

• Parks and outdoor spaces remain the most popular setting for exercise (47%, stable since 2022), followed by health and fitness facilities (from 33% to 39%) and active travel (from 24% to 37% — the biggest rise of all categories). Walking for at least 10 minutes at a stretch is now reported by 72% of citizens, a significant rise compared with 16% in 2022.

The mental health and wellbeing case for physical activity

• Health and wellbeing benefits remain the main drivers of engagement, while practical constraints limit participation.
• Improving or maintaining physical health (44%) and relaxing (39%) remain the top two personal motivations for physical activity, ahead of improving physical performance (30%) and getting from place to place (30%). Improving mental health or reducing stress is cited by 26% of respondents.

7. European Union Physical Activity Guidelines - Recommended Policy Actions in Support of Health-Enhancing Physical Activity (2008)*

Study summary

A comprehensive document designed to help government agencies and private bodies work together to promote physical activity, including examples of good practice and recommendations (guidelines). It was approved by the EU « Sport & Santé » working party at its meeting on 25 September 2008 and subsequently adopted by all EU Member States. Along with a few examples of good practice (Luxembourg, United Kingdom), a short section (§ 3.5) on the « Environnement de travail » [work environment] sets out 2 key recommendations:

• Guideline No. 33 – In their agreements, employers and trade unions should include requirements for the workplace that facilitate a physically active lifestyle. Examples of such requirements: (1) access to properly equipped indoor and outdoor exercise facilities; (2) the regular availability of a physical activity professional for group exercise activities as well as individual advice and instruction; (3) support for workplace-related sports participation; (4) support for the use of cycling and walking as a means of transport to and from the workplace; (5) if work is monotonous or strenuous to the point of involving an increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders, access to exercises specifically designed to counter these conditions; (6) a work environment that is conducive to physical activity.
• Guideline No. 34 – National health certificates could be awarded to workplaces where a healthy and physically active lifestyle is a top priority.

9. Panorama and state of the art: diversity and sports in the workplace* — Deliverable of the Erasmus+ research project Run4diversity 2022

Study summary

A European research project led by the Fédération française du sport d’entreprise (FFSE) based on a national pilot experiment running since 2014. The specific objectives of this report are:

• Define the concept of diversity and how to address social inclusion issues.
• Study the situation of diversity and inclusion in the workplace by country.
• Review the literature on diversity and inclusion, both in sport and in the workplace.
• Present benchmark success stories and good practices around physical activity, exercise and sport to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace in member countries.