A quarter (25 per cent) of UK deskless workers spend eight or more hours on their feet daily, while 43 per cent are on foot for over five, according to research by PPL PRS. This includes workers in the healthcare industry.

Nearly three in four (72 per cent) of these workers experienced physical fatigue and 68 per cent have suffered with sore legs or feet. A further 44 per cent have endured mental fatigue.

Music as therapy

The research revealed that almost nine in 10 (86 per cent) of respondents have played music in the workplace to feel better. Four-fifths (82 per cent) recognised its mood-boosting benefits during a shift, while nearly half (45 per cent) said a good tune helps them feel energised and focused when working.

Pop (66 per cent) and R&B (24 per cent) are the music genres commonly played in standing workplaces (where allowed).

Two in five workers revealed that customers responded positively to music playing.

Marianne Rizkallah, music therapist for PPL PRS, said, “When it comes to music’s ability to boost your mood when working, there's some research into the effects of rhythm as a ‘temporal organiser’ or providing ‘temporal structure’ to our movements, meaning that if something is presented to you with a steady beat, you're more likely to be able to tune in to it.

“I would suggest that music with a steady, predictable beat is more important when working standing, enabling you to perform tasks in time with what you're hearing and giving you a starting and stopping point.

“In general, research seems to point to music listening being used (at least in part) to regulate, and usually improve mood. When working long hours, standing or not, listening to a variety of music can serve many functions, like, mirroring someone's mood, altering their mood state, taking them through the different parts of the day.”

PPL PRS has created a guide to explore how standing roles affect workers' moods and productivity and how music can help distract them from the aches associated with these jobs.

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