Postpandemic hybrid work: opportunities and challenges for physical activity and public health

Abstract

The large-scale uptake of hybrid work presents new challenges, but also opportunities for promoting physical activity (PA) and health in workers. Hybrid work could enhance PA opportunities for workers by providing flexibility to integrate occupational (moving breaks while otherwise sitting), leisure (gym classes), lifestyle (walking) and incidental (housework) activities into 24-hour daily routines. This level of flexibility addresses one of the most significant barriers to behaviour change in a large proportion of the working population, namely finding the time to engage in health promoting PA. It is interesting to note that New Zealand researchers reported an increase in PA during lockdown for those not meeting WHO guidelines before COVID-19 (ie, 150 min of moderate intensity PA/week).3 These increases were attributed to factors synonymous with hybrid work, such as forming good activity habits that fitted with daily work routines at home and being able to sustain these habits through high levels of autonomous motivation.