One hour’s exercise needed to offset risks associated with desk-bound work

A study published in the Lancet has found that an hour’s ‘brisk exercise’ each day can offset the risks of early death associated with working at a desk for more than eight hours a day.

Currently NHS England recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week. Inactivity has been known to increase the risk of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.

The report highlighted that watching TV was found to be worse than sitting at a desk, mostly due to habits such as slouching and sneaking. Lack of exercise has been linked to 5.3 million deaths globally a year, more than the 5.1 million which is linked to smoking.

The research identified that people who sat for eight hours a day, but were physically active, had a much lower risk of premature death compared with people who sat for fewer hours a day, but were not active. People who both sat for long periods of time and were inactive carried the greatest risk.

Professor Ulf Ekelund, of the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences and the University of Cambridge, and author of the study, explained: "For many people who commute to work and have office-based jobs, there is no way to escape sitting for prolonged periods of time.

"For these people in particular, we cannot stress enough the importance of getting exercise, whether it's getting out for a walk at lunchtime, going for a run in the morning or cycling to work.

"An hour of physical activity per day is the ideal, but if this is unmanageable, then at least doing some exercise each day can help reduce the risk."

Ekelund admitted: "One hour's moderate activity is substantially higher than current recommendations."