Spending half the day on your feet reduces risk of heart attacks and cancer, study says

Bosses should provide desks which people can stand at, and allow workers to have regular breaks to walk around, according to the new study, commissioned by Public Health England (PHE) and the Active Working Community Interest Company.

And companies should warn their employees that: “prolonged sitting, aggregated from work and in leisure time, may significantly and independently increase the risk of cardiometabolic diseases and premature mortality,” says the expert guidance which is published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Office workers should spend at least two hours a day “standing and light activity (light walking) during working hours, eventually progressing to a total accumulation of 4 h,” recommends the first ever British guidance designed to curb the health risks of too much time sitting down.

The research shows the danger of spending too long sat down (Getty)
Based on the advice of a team of international experts from universities and institutes in Britain, Australia and the US, it cites mounting evidence of the links between “sedentary living, including time at work, and the leading causes of morbidity and mortality (cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers.” The guidance states: “For those working in offices, 65-75% of their working hours are spent sitting, of which more than 50% of this is accumulated in prolonged periods of sustained sitting.”

It warns that the change in how we work may be uncomfortable to start with: “Those individuals new to adopting more standing-based work could expect some musculoskeletal sensations and some fatigue.” Yet allowing workers to spend less time sitting down is necessary for better health habits generally, with getting people “standing and moving more frequently as part of their working day” part of a “first ‘behavioural’ step” to increasing the amount of exercise they do. And it also makes good business sense: “including economic savings and benefits from improved productivity, profitability, and reduced sickness and absenteeism.”

But compared to other countries, Britain is far behind in promoting physical movement in the workplace.  While 90 per cent of office workers in Scandinavia now have access to sit–stand workstations, only one per cent of British workers have this choice, according to the study. It recommends that employers look at how to give their staff breaks to allow them to stand and move around, as well as having workplaces designed to allow people to work more easily either at their desk or other parts of the office while standing up.

Professor John Buckley, lead author of the new guidance, said: “What may be most shocking is that irrespective of your level of physical activity, prolonged sedentary working leads to a significant increase in the risk of: heart disease, diabetes, obesity, certain cancers, depression and muscle and joint problems.” And another of the researchers, Gavin Bradley, director of Active Working, said: “British people sit on average for 8.9 hours each day and 70% of sitting time is at work. International research now provides compelling evidence that prolonged sitting has major health impacts.”

Responding to the findings, Dr Ann Hoskins, PHE’s deputy director for health and wellbeing, said: “Being active is good for your physical and mental health. Simple behaviour changes to break up long periods of sitting can make a huge difference. We welcome a spotlight on sedentary lifestyles, however more research needs to be carried out before daily targets for work place activity are recommended.”