Why sitting ruins our health - and how 22 minutes of exercise could help

Why is sitting so bad for our health?

Centuries ago, a working day meant heading out with spears to hunt for food. Now, we've swapped the hunter-gatherer lifestyle for desk jobs with comfortable chairs. Unfortunately, this sedentary behaviour - spending long periods of time sitting down - can harm our health. Doing nothing for a lot of the day raises your chance of obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

It's not known exactly why sitting down for prolonged periods is so bad for us. Research suggests that by not using our muscles as often, the function of our blood vessels might be affected, which can impact sugar regulation and blood pressure. One study linked prolonged sitting to a slower metabolism - the process by which the body breaks down and uses energy - and reduced blood flow.

Sitting down all day has also been linked to musculoskeletal disorders, such as backache, tight muscles and joint pain. Hours of sitting can lead to tight hip flexor muscles - the ones at the top of your legs - which can affect your movement and balance, and lead to aches, pains and even falls.

Research published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) has found that engaging in 22 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day may reduce your likelihood of health problems.

A study of a group of 50+ year olds across Norway, Sweden, and the US found that exercising for 22 minutes even benefitted those who were sedentary for 12 or more hours per day.

It's not always possible to go to a gym class, especially during a busy work day. So what can you do to be more active if you have a sedentary job?

Adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week - such as brisk walking, dancing, water aerobics or riding a bike - or 75 minutes of vigorous activity such as running or swimming. It's important to do strengthening activities that work your muscles and to spread exercise evenly over the week.