Why workplace wellbeing could be the missing link in sustained health behaviour 

By Rebecca Douglas, co-founder of The Well Crowd.

A conversation at a recent health and fitness industry event surfaced a familiar but often overlooked truth: health behaviours are rarely consistent. 

New research from Total Fitness suggests that many women move in and out of gym participation over time, rather than following a steady, uninterrupted journey. While the sector itself is not workplace-focused, the broader insight still applies. Engagement is not linear. It shifts with life. And that matters far beyond the gym floor.  

It is easy to assume that when people disengage from their health, they have simply lost interest. In reality, most people continue to value their wellbeing. The challenge is that it must compete with everything else. Work demands increase, caring responsibilities shift, energy levels fluctuate and, at times, health itself becomes a barrier rather than a driver. 

The Total Fitness white paper reflects this complexity, highlighting how participation is shaped by life stage, confidence and changing circumstances rather than a simple lack of intent.  

This is where the conversation becomes more relevant to workplace wellbeing. Because if engagement is not a straight line, then designing for continuous participation misses the point. 

One of the most interesting themes emerging from the discussion is the importance of return. Starting something new is one challenge. Coming back to it is another entirely. After a break, whether driven by illness, workload or life changes, re-engaging can feel disproportionately difficult. Confidence dips, routines are disrupted and what once felt familiar can feel out of reach. 

The research suggests that this moment of re-entry is often the most fragile point in the journey. Yet in many workplace wellbeing strategies, this is largely overlooked. 

Support is often concentrated at the beginning. Organisations invest in awareness campaigns, onboarding experiences and initial engagement. But far less attention is paid to what happens next. What happens when someone disengages. What happens when they return from absence. What happens when their needs change. 

This is where many wellbeing strategies lose impact. 

Because sustained health behaviour is not built through access alone. It is built through the ability to come back. 

Another clear takeaway from the research is the role of environment. Participation is not simply about what is available, but how it feels. Comfort, safety and atmosphere all influence whether people engage and whether they stay engaged.  

In a workplace context, environment is less visible but no less powerful. It sits in leadership behaviours, in the expectations placed on employees, in whether people feel able to step away from their desk, and in how comfortable they feel prioritising their own wellbeing. 

A wellbeing offer can be strong on paper, but if the working environment creates friction, participation will remain limited. 

This is why the workplace has such a critical role to play. 

For most people, work is the most consistent structure in their lives. It shapes daily routines, influences energy levels and determines how much time and headspace is available for anything beyond immediate responsibilities. That makes it one of the most powerful environments for influencing health behaviour. 

When workplace wellbeing is designed effectively, it does more than provide access. It reduces friction. It supports employees through periods of disruption. It creates conditions where engaging in health feels manageable, not like an additional burden. 

This is a different proposition to traditional fitness models. Gyms, apps and providers can offer access and expertise, but they operate around the edges of people’s lives. The workplace sits at the centre of them. That creates an opportunity, but also a responsibility. 

If participation is naturally cyclical, then wellbeing strategies need to reflect that reality. They need to support employees not just when they are engaged, but when they are struggling to engage. They need to recognise that confidence is not a prerequisite for participation, but often the result of it. 

The conversation within the fitness sector is beginning to shift towards more design-led approaches, focusing on how environments can better reflect how people actually behave. Workplace wellbeing should follow the same direction. 

The question is no longer whether people value their health – we know we do. It is now whether the environments around them make it possible to act on it. 

And in that context, the workplace is not just a channel for wellbeing. It is the foundation that determines whether it happens at all.