Movember in Motion: Internal study about how our people think about health and fitness
By Hazel Haskayne, Director and David Peters, Senior Research Executive
Have you ever wondered what really makes your employees tick when it comes to their health and wellbeing? What drives them to move, eat well, switch off mentally or what silently holds them back?
Each November, millions join Movember to spark conversation and action around men’s physical and mental health. At Purdie Pascoe, we’ve taken part for the last few years. But this year, we wanted to go a step further. Instead of just looking outward, we turned the lens on ourselves.
We ran an internal study to understand how our own people think about health: their movement habits, nutrition choices, mental wellbeing routines, and how they navigate the noisy, ever-expanding world of wellness advice.
This article unpacks those insights and explores what they mean for all of us who want to move more, stress less, and support each other toward better health, both in and beyond the workplace.
Movement as the foundation of health
Across almost every conversation, one message came through loud and clear: movement matters most. Exercise wasn’t just described as a way to stay fit or manage weight, it was seen as the most reliable, accessible health boost people have.
As one person put it:
“Exercise is the most important factor. I spend most of my day sitting at a desk, so I need something to balance that out.”
Walking (especially with our dogs!) was by far the most common form of movement. It’s low effort, built into daily routines, and delivers benefits for both physical and mental health. While some people enjoy more structured activities like pilates, kickboxing, or gym sessions, most rely on natural, everyday movement.
And one theme kept coming up: enjoyment; “Because if I don't enjoy it, I won't carry on with it.”
A very relatable philosophy. It turns out the secret isn’t willpower, it’s actually liking what you’re doing. Movement works best when it feels good, not punishing or performative. In other words, fun = sustainable.
Nutrition matters, but supplements bring confusion
Nutrition showed up as another big pillar of health. Plenty of people talked about cooking from scratch, making intentional choices, and generally trying to eat well. But the tone changed quickly when supplements came up.
There was uncertainty, scepticism, and a sense of being overwhelmed by:
too many options
unclear evidence
and a whole lot of marketing noise!
Comments like these were common:
“There are so many options. I’ve never really researched or found the best ones for me.”
“I think my diet gives me what I need. I wouldn’t know which supplements to take.”
It’s a familiar modern problem, you want to do the right thing, but the internet offers 47 different answers and a shiny advert for collagen powder halfway through.
People are keen to take control of their nutrition; they just want guidance that cuts through the noise and keeps things simple, sensible, and science led.
Mental wellbeing: important, but not yet integrated
Everyone agrees mental health is important. No surprises there. But most people aren’t actively giving it the same attention as movement or nutrition.
Participants recognised that emotional balance affects physical health, yet mindfulness, stress management, or mental wellbeing practices rarely came up unless prompted. It’s not that people don’t care—it’s that they don’t always know where to start.
There’s a real opportunity here to help people build small, easy habits that slot naturally into daily life… ideally without feeling like another item on the to-do list.
Preventive health: the missing piece
From a Movember perspective, one of the most important findings was the surprisingly low emphasis on preventive health.
Check-ups, screenings, and early detection weren’t top of mind. Even people who were otherwise disciplined in their routines tended to approach healthcare reactively rather than proactively.
One person summed it up honestly:
“I see my doctor for follow-up tests I’m supposed to do… and remind my doctor when I’m behind.”
This reflects a well-known challenge: men often delay taking action until something feels wrong. Our internal findings mirror this pattern and highlight an opportunity to build more awareness, comfort, and confidence around prevention.
Where we get our health information, and who we trust
When our team want health advice, their first stop is almost always digital. It’s quick, convenient, and broad. But trust is fragile and social media, in particular, is treated carefully. As one person said:
“Anything that looks too easy or reported online via social media, I tend to mostly distrust.”
Two factors matter most:
Who is giving the advice? Real expertise beats flashy claims
Is it unbiased? Anything that feels promotional raises red flags
This points to a clear opportunity for us as an organisation: to curate and share reliable, credible health information so employees don’t have to sort through mixed-quality sources on their own.
The bigger picture: we move well, but we can move smarter
When you zoom out, the picture is actually pretty encouraging. Our people already have some great habits in place:
Consistent movement
Enjoyable, sustainable activity (the best kind!)
Balanced nutrition
A healthy dose of scepticism toward miracle cures
Critical thinking when scrolling through health advice online
In other words: we’ve got a strong foundation. But every good foundation comes with a few cracks, and our study revealed some clear areas where we can improve:
Preventive health isn’t top of mind
Mental wellbeing practices aren’t routine yet
Supplements remain a bit of a mystery
And many of us prioritise what feels good now over what pays off later
Nothing alarming, just honest human behaviour. And interestingly, these insights line up perfectly with Movember’s core message: health works best when it’s proactive, holistic, and started before something feels wrong.
Looking ahead
Our study makes one thing clear: our people already value movement. But as we continue moving forward (quite literally), it’s worth remembering just how powerful movement is for our health, mindset, and long-term wellbeing.
As a business, we understand that. And we want to create a culture where movement isn’t something squeezed in at the end of the day, but something genuinely supported. That means encouraging breaks, making space in people’s schedules, leading by example, and keeping the conversation alive, not just in November, but all year round.
And it sparks a question for anyone reading this: how is your organisation supporting movement and health in the workplace? Are your teams encouraged to take a walk, reset mentally, prioritise preventive care, or simply step away from the screen? If not, this might be the perfect moment to rethink that.
Stay tuned for our next article, where we’ll explore wearables and smart health tech. As a company that specialises in MedTech, it makes sense to start with our own colleagues, seeing how these tools can track health, support movement, and turn everyday habits into smarter, healthier choices. Whether you’re a tracker fan or a smartwatch sceptic, we’ll share what we’ve learned and how it could help teams build better habits.