Movement is Now a Workplace Design Brief – Why Active Workspaces Outperform Static Ones

New research from Oxford University’s Wellbeing Research Centre confirms a growing trend in workplace strategy: movement directly improves mood, performance, and workplace perception. For facilities managers, office planners, and designers, this is no longer just about comfort—it’s a blueprint for high-performance workplace design.

Key Finding: Happiness increases with movement—people who take around 5,000 steps daily report higher happiness, and this continues to improve up to 10,000 steps. At YoYo WORKS, we’ve compared workplace behaviour across thousands of data points. Employees who average 8,000+ steps per day outperform those below 5,000 in several critical areas:

• 10% increase in reported happiness
• 16% lower stress
• 7% greater productivity
• 3 bpm lower resting heart rate
• 12% improvement in working memory

Most strikingly, they rated the same office as 5% more desirable. Movement changed their experience, not the environment itself. Intentional movement requires prompts, not just willpower.
Our Active Working App delivers intelligent nudges and coaching to help users:

• Switch between sitting and standing
• Accumulate incidental steps during micro-breaks
• Track movement, standing time, and calorie burn

Standing increases the likelihood of movement. The app increases the frequency. Together, they form a workplace upgrade in disguise. Movement isn’t a wellness wish list—it’s a design imperative. Here are six strategies to integrate into your next project:

1. Active Circulation Paths – Encourage detours, not direct routes
2. Visible, Attractive Stairwells – Outperform the lift
3. Walking Meetings – Reframe informal chats into health boosters
4. Micro-break Prompts – Leverage app-based nudges to fight fatigue
5. Distributed Amenities – Place kitchens, tea points, printers intentionally
6. Active Commute Support – Provide bike storage, showers, drying rooms

These subtle shifts influence daily activity patterns—embedding movement into the culture of the workspace. At YoYo WORKS, we integrate smart furniture, sustainable design, and behavioural science. Our Flytta desks and Active Working App deliver real-time movement insights across entire teams. Plus, our pods and dividers support flexibility and circularity—WEEE certified, refurbished-ready, and made from recycled materials.

---

Movement lifts mood, sharpens focus, and makes the workplace more desirable. Whether you’re rethinking office layouts or upgrading wellbeing strategy, now is the time to build for movement.

Want a movement uplift plan for your next project?
Let’s create workplaces where people thrive.

#WorkplaceDesign #FacilitiesManagement #ActiveWorking #OfficeFurniture #HealthyBuildings #MovementMatters