Sitting, described as the new smoking, ranked fourth biggest killer

Are you sitting comfortably?

You might not be by the time you finish reading this, because spending too much time perched on your posterior can seriously damage your health.

Modern life has resulted in many of us adapting to a sedentary lifestyle. If you are desk-bound at work and sit on your journey to and from it, you likely fall into this category.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the average person spends a ­staggering nine hours every day sitting down. That might be at work, in a car or on the sofa in front of the TV.

Add another seven hours sleeping and that means most of us spend only one third of our time on our feet. Muscles are healthiest when used, so it is no surprise that staying seated for eight or nine hours a day has negative repercussions.

Those prolonged periods of inactivity increase our risk of obesity, but they also cause a staggering list of other conditions. This includes heart disease, diabetes, muscular and back issues, deep vein ­thrombosis, brittle bones and even depression.

Experts are now describing sitting as ‘the new smoking’, a ticking time bomb of ill health just waiting to explode.

The WHO has already identified physical inactivity as the fourth biggest killer on the planet, ahead of obesity. While all jobs require a mix of standing, walking, and sitting, some jobs require one to sit more than they stand or walk.

The WHO ­recommends you do at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, or at least 30 minutes five days a week. That is enough to gain the main benefits of regular exercise. However, it will not protect you if you spend too much time sitting. There is mounting evidence that you can hit the ­recommended levels of ­exercise but still put your health at risk by spending the rest of the time sitting down.

Fortunately, it is not all doom and gloom. It is a lot easier to cut back on sitting than it is to cut back on smoking. You do not need pills. You do not need patches. There is no withdrawal. Below are seven simple suggestions you and your family can easily build into your daily routine to fight this “sitting epidemic”:

Set a reminder to yourself to get up every 30 or 60 minutes for at least five minutes. Move around, stretch for five minutes; even try running on the spot.

Commit to about 60 minutes of activity per day, every day.

Drinking plenty of water – meaning you will have to use the loo more often, which will force you to leave your desk for a few minutes.

Have your family earn screen time by walking.

Take the stairs instead of the lift.

Finally, swap an exercise ball – also called a yoga or stability ball – in place of your regular desk chair to achieve “active sitting”. The theory is that using a stability ball – which is inherently unstable – forces your body to constantly make small adjustments in your core and lower body, resulting in abdominal strength and better posture.

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