This working group provides a platform for exchanging effective approaches to promoting health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) among workers, to learn from experiences in different European countries and to promote the most effective approaches across the WHO European Region. As sedentary behaviour, physical inactivity and physical fitness of employees are relevant new research areas related to important health risks, the working group is gathering and sharing good practices on these topics. For example, the group carried out a project on mapping and describing workplace physical activity interventions, practices, programmes and protocols for small and medium-sized enterprises. This project resulted in a toolkit published by WHO (due in 2023), and an article identifying, describing and summarizing real-life implementations of workplace physical activity initiatives. In addition, the working group is open to collaborating on new initiatives.

The working group is co-chaired by Dr Ine De Clerck, Artevelde University of Applied Sciences Ghent, Belgium; Dr Anna Puig-Ribera, University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia, Spain; Dr Sebastià Mas Alòs, National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia, Spain; and Dr Ilkka Väänänen, LAB University of Applied Sciences, Finland.

Workplace physical activity practices in real life: a scoping review of grey literature for small- and medium-sized enterprises