Remote work is changing employees’ health and raising questions about returning to the office
At first glance, remote work seems like a gift for health. There’s no need to get up in the dark, spend hours in traffic jams and on commuter trains, and there’s enough time for both sports and family. But after several years of mass transition to “home offices,” warning signs from specialists are starting to appear. Why do doctors have more and more reasons to consider the real impact of working from home on well-being? Can we say that remote work is safe for health, or is it time to be cautious?
Why remote work seems beneficial for health
Many employees and managers are convinced: remote work helps to get rid of the stress of long commutes, saves energy, and gives more hours for personal activities. One of the most popular ideas is that if you don’t spend time on the road, you can walk more often, exercise, and spend evenings with loved ones. In addition, the home environment is perceived as less stressful, which, according to remote work advocates, should have a positive effect on mental health. Increasingly, this format is presented as a path to work-life balance.
However, are there convincing grounds to believe that such expectations are justified in practice?
What research shows about the health of remote employees
In recent years, there have been many scientific publications devoted to the consequences of working from home for health. A particular resonance was caused by the column of sports physician Jordan Metzl in the New York Times (March 2023): he analyzes data and urges attention to concerning trends among remote employees. According to Dr. Metzl and other specialists, many patients have shown an increase in complaints of weakness, back and neck pain, and decreased physical activity.
Research confirms: for a number of people (especially those prone to physical inactivity), their daily routine has changed—the average number of steps has almost halved compared to “office” times. Although some employees have seen improvements—weight loss and increased energy levels—these cases are more the exception than the rule. According to Metzl, “not everyone benefits,” and certain risk groups are especially vulnerable to negative changes.
A doctor’s personal experience: what problems have become noticeable among patients
Dr. Metzl noted that his patients began to behave differently after switching to remote work: activity dropped sharply, and many stopped going out even for short walks. A simple comparison of pedometers among patients revealed: on office days, the number of steps reached several thousand, while at home this figure could drop to a minimum. More and more often, people complained of back, neck, and joint pain, attributing this to uncomfortable furniture and lack of movement.
For some, working from home really became a catalyst for healthy changes: they started doing fitness and watching their diet. However, most patients faced the opposite situation—less activity, more pain, worsening posture, and overall well-being.
The impact of reduced physical activity on the body
The loss of daily movement goes unnoticed, but the consequences quickly accumulate. One of the most common problems is loss of muscle mass: if you don’t load your muscles regularly, they weaken, which increases the risk of joint pain and injuries. Doctors emphasize that the stronger the muscles, the less pain the body experiences. In addition, lack of movement leads to deterioration of the cardiovascular system, increases the risk of weight gain, and lowers overall energy levels.
Dr. Metzl describes cases where patients began to feel tired by midday, even if they hadn’t done anything physically demanding. There are also studies that point to a connection between a sedentary lifestyle and an increased risk of chronic diseases.
Why movement is important and what NEAT is
In addition to sports training, there is the concept of NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis)—these are all the small types of physical activity outside of special sports activities: walking to the store, climbing stairs, moving around the apartment. Simply put, NEAT is the movement that accompanies us daily, even if we don’t do fitness.
Paradoxically, it is these “everyday steps” that turn out to be more important than rare, exhausting workouts. Regular movement throughout the day reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer. As Dr. Metzl notes: “Movement is a universal and free medicine available to everyone, regardless of age or place of residence.”
Practical tips for those working from home
It’s easier to maintain health while working remotely if you introduce healthy habits in advance:
- Plan short warm-ups every hour—even five minutes of light exercise or stretching for the back and neck already make a difference
- Equip your workspace according to ergonomic principles—a chair with back support, monitor and keyboard positioned at a comfortable height
- Focus on NEAT—try to stand up during every phone call, move around the house more often, go for a walk during your lunch break
- Track your steps using a fitness bracelet or app
- Don’t forget about social contacts—chat, call colleagues more often, discuss tasks by voice
Avoid entertainment at the workplace—another important tip. Statistics show that a significant portion of work time is spent on various entertainments. Not to mention that we like to spend leisure time at the work computer even after work itself. Watching movies and TV series, social networks, and especially video games draw us in for hours.
Even simple games like Plinko have a similar effect. That’s probably why they are so popular. This is also confirmed by data from thematic review sites. While preparing the article, we found on the site information about the growing interest in Plinko game apps. Moreover, many people play it right at the workplace. Naturally, this only exacerbates the problem of physical inactivity.
According to Dr. Metzl, it’s important not only to move physically, but also to maintain active communication to avoid a sense of isolation.
Social and long-term aspects of remote work
Health is not only strong muscles, but also full-fledged communication, a sense of belonging to a team, and a change of scenery. Many specialists point out that office work inadvertently promotes regular physical activity: we go to transport, climb stairs, communicate in person. At the same time, constantly staying at home can lead to social isolation, which negatively affects emotional well-being.
In the long term, this can affect not only individuals, but also the health of society as a whole. Experts urge not to limit the discussion to productivity and benefits, but to discuss the balance between remote and office work more broadly from the perspective of well-being.