Which is healthier: office life or working from home?

By Jack Rear

Daily Telegraph UK·

4 Oct, 2023 07:19 PM9 mins to read

Share this article

Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

A recent study suggests we eat more and exercise less when working from home. Telegraph writer Jack Rear enlists technology to test those results.

It’s nearly midday and I’ve done 458 steps. That’s the walk from my bedroom to the shower and back, moving some rubbish to the outside bin, and trying to find my laptop charger. But yesterday, when I was working in the office, my Fitbit told me I had done more than 3000 steps by this point

According to new scientific research, my experience is not unique. In a recent study, the exercise app MyFitnessPal tracked 2000 hybrid workers, comparing their activity while working from home to a typical day in the office. While working from home, the participants did 4527 steps per day, compared to 8087 when they were in the office. They also ate far more: 2752kcal per day, as opposed to 1961kcal in a typical day at the office.

Dietician Brookell White, who authored the study, pointed out what many of us instinctively know: a bedroom office can make for a “cosy working environment” but can also lead to a “lack of structure and routine”. “This can make it easy to indulge in the comforts of home and reach for snacks you may not have in an office setting,” said White.

So how well does this study speak for the UK’s growing army of hybrid workers? As someone who works mainly from the office, but does the odd day at home, I enlisted technology to find out.

My step count

WFH: 3256 steps

Office: 11,624 steps

Given my almost religious commitment to getting in 10,000 steps per day, I’m used to tracking my movements, but I was stunned to see how much lower the count was while working from home. When I’m in the office, my commute is roughly 2000 steps each way. I take a 3000-4000-step walk at lunchtime, and with a bit of pottering around once I get home, 10,000 is usually easily achievable.

Advertise with NZME.

Not all steps are equal. Stairs are good; sauntering from couch "desk" to kettle less so.

Not so while working from home. Like 45 per cent of the homeworkers in the study, I didn’t bother going out at lunch. It was much cheaper and more convenient to scoff some leftovers I had in the fridge. Even though I did eventually walk to the shops to grab some ingredients for dinner after work, my step count was way down. And the steps that I did make around my flat may not have been as valuable as the ones I do on my commute anyway.

What the experts say:

Not all steps are equal. “There’s a fair amount of walking during the day which are pretty much ‘junk steps’ – they don’t benefit you by a huge amount,” explains Professor Marie Murphy, the director of Physical Activity for Health Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh. “Steps where you’re casually wandering about – those add to your 10,000, but you’re not putting your system under much strain. By walking briskly, you demand more from the cardiovascular system, which can lower your cholesterol, control your blood sugar and speed up your metabolism.”

So rushing into the office because you’re 10 minutes late (not unheard of) is worth more than sauntering from your desk to the kettle, even if it was the same number of steps.

Home workers: try this

The important thing is to find ways to move during the day, whether that’s pacing around during work calls or doing squats while the kettle boils.

“You can accumulate bits of exercise throughout the day and get the same health benefits as if you do the recommended 30 minutes per day every day of the week,” says Dr Andy Blannin, a senior lecturer in exercise metabolism at the University of Birmingham. “Whenever I feel the urge to go and make a cup of coffee or something like that, I do a quick blast with some weights. We also know that exercise can suppress appetite, so that may help you avoid snacks too.”

My diet

WFH: 2775kcal

Advertise with NZME.

Office: 1201kcal

In the office, I am a strict eater. My first meal of the day is lunchtime. I’ve written before about how I love a supermarket meal deal: my combo of choice – chicken caesar salad, a box of fruit and a bottle of water – comes to 259kcal. I am not a snacker, so my next meal will be dinner at home, usually a homemade chilli or bolognese, and occasionally half a chocolate bar afterwards.

When I work from home, all that goes out of the window. Without the commute, I had time for some breakfast porridge, and found some leftover bolognese in the fridge for lunch. Then there were the snacks. Before 3pm I’d snaffled two slices of brioche with Nutella chocolate spread, three custard cream biscuits, and a handful of Quality Streets. Why? “Because they were there” is the best excuse I have.

"Before 3pm I’d snaffled two slices of brioche with Nutella chocolate spread, three custard cream biscuits, and a handful of Quality Streets."

What the experts say:

“It’s too easy to make journeys to the kitchen, especially when we need a break from sitting down for too long or are just bored,” suggests nutritionist Abigail Ireland of Understanding Performance. “In the office, it would be noticeable – and irritating – to others if someone was constantly snacking all day at their desk. People might not think you were as productive or effective at your job if you were eating all the time, so I think peer pressure can play a key role here.”

When you start snacking, says Ireland, it’s hard to stop – your raised blood sugar is bound to crash, which leads to wanting more. “We lose our ability to tune in to our body’s needs and determine whether we actually need food,” she says. “It can become habitual to crave high-energy snacks that we associate with work stress. Boredom or procrastination can be factors.”

Worryingly, with less movement, I’ve found myself less thirsty and have forgotten to drink any water, sufficing on half a bottle of 7Up. “Without enough water we’re prone to dehydration, which can cause memory and attention difficulties, as well as physical fatigue,” says Ireland.

Home workers: try this

“Aiming for eight glasses of water a day is a good rule of thumb,” says Ireland. “Sipping helps your body to absorb water more effectively; drinking water will also help you feel fuller and leave you less likely to snack.”

Lack of planning is a common factor in poor nutrition when working from home. “I advise my clients to have a ‘food aid kit’ – a stash of healthier food that can be defaulted to when busy, stressed, hungry or bored,” says Ireland. “By intentionally preparing ahead of when you need it, you’ll make better eating choices when willpower is low or emotions are high.”

Sleep and mental health

Amount of rest before a WFH day: 7hr 39m

Amount of rest before a day in the office: 6hr 16m

Unlike fitness and nutrition, this one feels like more of a mixed bag for me. Commuting is always the worst part of my day, so I was glad to avoid it. I was also able to use that time to be more productive (it isn’t glamorous, but the laundry needed doing), which meant I had more time to relax after work.

And of course, as anyone can tell you, it is significantly less stressful to do your work when you aren’t being faced with a constant stream of interruptions from co-workers or having a boss breathing down your neck. I also slept better because I didn’t have to set such an early alarm.

"It is significantly less stressful to do your work when you aren’t being faced with a constant stream of interruptions from co-workers or having a boss breathing down your neck."

A less stressful day working from home can impact our mental health in other ways, though. It struck me that between 8am, when my boyfriend left for work, and 7pm, when he got back, I didn’t speak to another soul.

What the experts say:

Feeling calmer because you’re working from home might also benefit your waistline. “Stress can affect the body in multiple ways and can contribute to weight gain,” says Dr Sophie Mort, a clinical psychologist and mental health expert at Headspace. “When stressed – particularly if the stress is chronic – the body releases cortisol, a hormone that can increase your appetite and cravings for sugar. Chronic stress may also lead to disrupted sleep, reduced physical activity, and other behavioural changes that can contribute to weight gain.”

On the other hand, there’s the social factor. “A casual chat with colleagues or individuals outside one’s household is important for mental wellbeing, as it increases our sense of connection and belonging,” Mort says. “Even seemingly insignificant interactions, such as a nod to a fellow commuter or a greeting to a shopkeeper, have been shown to substantially enhance one’s mood. These moments of engagement and acknowledgment boost our spirits and contribute to emotional wellbeing.”

Home and office workers: try this

“It can help to see the commute as a clear line in the sand between the working day and their personal time,” Mort says. “For people who incorporate activities that they value into their commute, such as reading, listening to music, or using these moments to practise meditation and mindfulness, they may enjoy the journey. Likewise, people who cycle or walk to work may find the commute has positive effects on their mental health due to the physical activity involved.”

It might also be helpful to reframe the way you think of the stresses of the office. “Stress in small doses can be helpful,” Mort says. “When we feel under pressure, there is a window of opportunity where we can think faster, pay more attention and actually find ourselves performing to the best of our ability. We need to know this so that we don’t start fearing stress, which can lead to a vicious cycle of feeling stressed about being stressed.”