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A recent study has shown that Britons spend around fourteen hours sitting down everyday, and scientists are saying that this is bad news for the amount of time that they’re spending moving around and getting exercise. It’s not just sitting at a desk in the office that’s a problem, but also the commute to work and sitting down to watch TV. In a world in which so many of life’s necessary activities require you to sit down, what can be done to get healthier?

Taking the recession sitting down

Economic difficulties mean that people need to spend longer hours at work, or working at home on a laptop or home computer. This means more time sitting down – but the good news is that it doesn’t take much to make small improvements to your health.

Increase your exercise

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Government guidelines say that you should be exercising for thirty minutes to an hour every day – that’s in comparison to the twenty-five minutes twice a week that the average Briton is actually getting. If the recommended amount of exercise sounds impossible, build up to it slowly, and remember that it doesn’t always have to mean working out hard at the gym – simply going running in the evening or walking to work rather than driving can make the difference. If you can’t tear yourself away from the telly, use an exercise machine in front of it.

Improve your posture

If you’re going to be spending most of your day sitting down, you might as well do it properly. When you’re standing or sitting, your ears, shoulders and hips should be in a straight line: you don’t need to pull yourself up rigidly, but some control is important. Remember that getting healthier is all about making little changes that can result in a big difference – and that you can put in a full day’s work and still find time for your health.

Tags: exercise, keeping fit, Keeping Healthy