Here's how much exercise you should be doing if you sit at a desk all day

We were all warned about the detrimental effects of smoking years ago, but now the focus has firmly shifted to the health impact of sitting.

According to researchers, if you work an eight-hour day at a standard desk job, you’re probably putting your health at risk. Studies have found that sitting for six or more hours a day makes you 40% more likely to die within 15 years compared to someone who sits less than three.

RELATED: Very hot drinks may cause cancer
RELATED: New study says caffeine has no benefit after three nights of little sleep

But now scientists are doing more than just telling us sitting is bad: they’ve recommended exactly how much exercise you need to do per day to counteract sitting for eight hours: one hour. If you work six hours while sitting, you need to do half an hour. But rest assured that doesn’t mean you have to slog it out in the gym.

Lead author Prof Ulf Ekelund, from the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences and Cambridge University, said: “You don’t need to do sport, you don’t need to go to the gym. It’s OK doing some brisk walking, maybe in the morning, during lunchtime, after dinner in the evening. You can split it up over the day, but you need to do at least one hour.

"Take a five-minute break every hour, go to the next office, go upstairs to the coffee machine, go to the printer. Build physical activity in your everyday life."

While the World Health Organisation has not yet put forward recommended daily exercise amounts for those working in desk jobs, it does acknowledge that it’s an issue.

“Recommendations related to sitting and sedentary behaviours are not available yet,” said the organisation. “However, WHO already recommends governments implement policy actions around making environments where people live and work more conducive to physical activity.”

Considering most Aussies spend two or more hours a day watching TV (particularly when The Bachelor is on), it seems we should all stop making excuses about not doing any exercise and start hitting the pavement instead.

Want more celebrity, entertainment and lifestyle news? Follow Be on Facebook,Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.