According to Get Britain Standing British people on average sit for 8.9 hours each day. So is sitting bad for us? The simple answer is yes!

In recent years a variety of major international research has produced compelling evidence that sitting for more than 4 hours each day is bad for our health and leads to:

• Reduced calorie burning (Metabolic rate)
• Disrupted blood sugar levels
• Increased insulin and blood pressure levels
• Leg muscles switch off
• Enzymes responsible for burning harmful blood fats shutting down

Irrespective of your level of physical activity, the result leads to increased risks of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, back pain, dementia, depression and muscle degeneration. Check out the Top 10 health risks which grow for people who sit longer than 4 hours a day.

Did you know:

• You burn 50 more calories standing than sitting
• After just 90 minutes of sitting your metabolism slows down dramatically
• Prolonged sitting raises the risks of fatal heart problems by 64%.

Making some simple changes to your working day can have a huge benefit to your long term health. It’s easier than you think:

• Stand during phone calls
• Stand and take a break from your computer every 30 minutes
• Use the stairs
• Have standing or walking meetings
• Eat your lunch away from your desk
• Walk to your colleague’s desk instead of phoning or emailing them
• Stand at the back of the room during presentations

Why not calculate the hours you spend sitting on an average “working day”. Make sure you include your sitting time whilst at work, commuting and at home, then start to incorporate some of the changes suggested above.

Check out this TED Talk – Got a meeting take a walk, and make this a part of your working week

Sources: Get Britain Standing