Working time is living time. How we work therefore also influences how healthily we live.

In her talk ‘Lifestyle Medicine as the Foundation of the Modern Workplace’ at the Work Culture Festival at ORGATEC, Dr Anne Latz highlighted the link between health, office design and corporate culture.

Her key message: “Energy is our currency – and our day-to-day working lives play a decisive role in how we manage it.”

An ergonomic chair is a good start. But what use is the best equipment if there’s no room for breaks, constant availability is part of everyday life, and recovery can only begin once the working day is over? Anne Latz made it clear that a healthy working environment requires more than just individual measures. It requires a framework that enables healthy behaviour and makes recovery a matter of course.

Healthy Office: Health needs space and culture

The six pillars of lifestyle medicine highlighted in the talk apply equally to the office and the home office.

• Sleep – The ultimate superpower
• Exercise – Motion creates emotion
• Nutrition – The daily game-changer
• Toxins – Conscious consumption
• Stress management – Breaks give you energy
• Social relationships – Networking prolongs life

“Focusing on energy is a different way of organising work.”

Anne Latz draws attention to issues that are easily overlooked in day-to-day working life: How much physical activity does a working day allow for? Is there time for a proper meal? Are breaks respected? And how can a sense of social connection be fostered when teams work in different locations?

From a medical perspective, Anne Latz examined the chronic strain caused by stress and prolonged sitting. A ‘Healthy Office’ emerges where architecture, work organisation and day-to-day collaboration come together. Health thus becomes a matter of the corporate culture in practice.

“Longevity isn’t about the distant future. It’s about energy in the here and now.”

The concept of ‘Healthy Longevity’ broadens the perspective beyond the next working day: how can people remain healthy, active and productive in the long term? For companies, this means considering sustainable performance alongside recovery. Those who invest energy over the long term also need the opportunity to replenish it.

Managers help shape these conditions – through their expectations, working practices and by setting an example themselves. Whether a break is actually possible is rarely reflected in the mission statement. It is evident in how the team deals with stress and limits.

Anne Latz thus provided inspiration that extends far beyond office design: “If energy is our currency, how we manage it deserves greater attention.”

A healthy working culture begins with the question of what gives people strength every day – and what drains it.

Who is Dr Anne Latz?

Dr Anne Latz is a doctor with an MSc in Business Administration and a PhD in medical neuroscience. Certified in lifestyle medicine, with stints at Harvard Medical School and professional experience in both the private and public sectors, she combines her clinical work (psychosomatics and psychotherapy) with her role as co-founder of various companies in the fields of healthy longevity and digital health.

Most recently, she served as Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of the scientific self-care start-up Hello Inside. She hosts the OMR-produced podcast “Die Ärztin & der Nerd” with Toan Nguyen. The podcast is currently ranked among the top 10 medical podcasts in Germany.

Anne Latz is available to give talks on lifestyle medicine and longevity as the foundation of the modern workplace: +49 (0)30 640 777 42 or [email protected]