Working from home could cut your life short, warns Chris Whitty

 Working from home could cut lives short by depriving millions of people of everyday exercise, England’s chief medical officer has warned.

Prof Sir Chris Whitty said there was mounting evidence that sedentary habits could have a lethal impact, while physical activity reduced the risk of dying from almost any cause.

Walking for just 11 minutes a day was enough to cut the risk of early death by almost one quarter, Prof Whitty said, citing the latest evidence from a study of 30 million people.

He warned that too many remote workers were getting through a working day “doing very little”, without even the daily commute to get them moving.

The shift to hybrid working, online shopping, and long hours spent sitting meant millions no longer build movement naturally into their day, he said.

Prof Whitty issued the warning as the UK’s four chief medical officers publish updated official physical activity guidelines, showing the strongest evidence yet for the benefits of exercise.

It singles out prolonged sitting as a particular harm – even for those who meet the guidelines to carry out 150 minutes of moderate exercise (or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise) per week.

Prof Whitty also warned of new threats to long-term health, including weight-loss medications that could cause frailty later in life.

Those taking the jabs or pills are being warned that it is crucial for them to include strength training in their weekly routine to prevent muscles withering away prematurely.

The chief medical officer said modern lifestyles – and in particular the shift to working from home since the pandemic – were increasingly removing the everyday reasons to be active.

“Hybrid working means quite a lot of people could very easily do very little … where previously people would be routinely going to work, and that often meant at least some physical activity,” he said.

“Obviously, online shopping is another example where people can actually stay put who previously would have actually gone out to the shops,” he added.

With fewer reasons to leave the house, this was “accelerating or continuing” long-term trends away from daily movement, he warned.

In the new guidelines, Britons are being told that every step counts, and urged to build walks to the shops, gardening, dancing and household chores into their daily routine.

“If physical activity were a drug, we would refer to it as a miracle cure, due to the great many illnesses it can prevent or treat,” the guidance states, noting the specific impact on deaths from cancer and heart disease.

Research findings from 30 million people show 11 minutes a day of moderate physical activity – such as a brisk walk – is associated with a 23 per cent lower risk of early death.

But those minutes could easily be lost if people stay at home, Prof Whitty warned, urging Britons that “any activity is better than none, and more is better still”.

Government data show people are now about 20 per cent less active than in the 1960s, and in the space of a lifetime, the amount of routine cycling has fallen by more than 60 per cent.

Latest figures show 66 per cent of adults are overweight or obese – up from 64 per cent in 2019.

Experts have previously warned that the rise of “Deliveroo culture” – a heavy reliance on food delivery apps and takeaways – could mean Britain becomes the fattest nation in Europe.

However, Prof Whitty said that GLP-1 medication to tackle obesity also carries major health risks unless efforts are made to conserve muscle mass.

The guidelines – the first ever by chief medical officers to address the risk of such medications – come as chemists embark on one of the biggest drug launches in history.

On Monday, sales opened for Britain’s first GLP-1 weight-loss pill, which works in a similar way to jabs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro.

Prof Whitty said: “It is really important that you maintain strength and also balance, but particularly strength, as you go through age.

“Once you get to about 50, your muscle mass is decreasing, and if you actually manage to get a good muscle mass, and then keep it through late middle age, you’ll be in much better shape in terms of ending up with frailty in old age than if you allow the muscle mass to essentially wither away.”

People taking GLP-1 drugs are at particular risk because muscle is lost alongside fat, and if weight is regained, it is more likely to return as fat.

“That’s another reason why physical activity, as you lose weight, as you maintain a lower weight, or indeed if you increase weight, maintaining strength and muscle is really important,” Prof Whitty said.

Prof Whitty said he was at his most active when he worked hospital shifts, cycling to and fro, and on his feet all day, rather than while doing his duties as chief medical adviser to the Government.

But he said he tried to be as active as possible in his leisure time: “I really enjoy walking. I sometimes go kayaking, walking in hills, that’s one of the things I enjoy. It’s really to do with the things we enjoy most,” he said, urging people to find an activity that suits.

The new guidance reiterates that adults should do at least 150 minutes per week of exercise – unchanged from the previous guidance.

However, there is more of a focus on the benefits of small chunks of exercise, even just a few minutes at a time, with an emphasis on the fact that any activity is better than none.bs, playing and sport.