Here's How Long You Need To Exercise If You're Sitting At Work All Day

Believe it or not, sitting at your desk all day long can be really harmful to your health.

I know what you're thinking -- we all need to work and pay our bills because that's life. But it doesn't necessarily mean you should throw your physical wellness down the drain for your 9 to 5.

One of the most effective ways to steer clear of letting your desk job consume your life is to counteract the unhealthy imbalance with a solid exercise routine.

Now, that doesn't mean you should run out of your office at 5 o'clock sharp and hit the gym until you wipeout. There's a science to it.

So, exactly how long should you work out if you've been sitting down all day?

In a recent study conducted by The Lancet, we're shown a standard fitness regimen to help combat the harmful effects of being stationary for long periods of time throughout the day.

The study's description reads,

High amounts of sedentary behavior have been associated with increased risks of several chronic conditions and mortality. However, it is unclear whether physical activity attenuates or even eliminates the detrimental effects of prolonged sitting. We examined the associations of sedentary behavior and physical activity with all-cause mortality.

It turns out your workout habits should be calculated by the number of hours you're sitting down.

Say you sit at your desk for six hours on a daily basis; you should exercise for at least 30 minutes each day.

If you work a standard eight-hour day, you should be aiming for a solid hour of exercise each day.

Keep in mind, this doesn't mean you need to run out and sign up for a pricy Equinox membership.

A thorough jog around your neighborhood is just as beneficial for your body as weight-lifting and elliptical training. Exercise is exercise!

The study concludes,

High levels of moderate intensity physical activity (i.e., about 60–75 min per day) seem to eliminate the increased risk of death associated with high sitting time. However, this high activity level attenuates, but does not eliminate the increased risk associated with high TV-viewing time. These results provide further evidence on the benefits of physical activity, particularly in societies where increasing numbers of people have to sit for long hours for work and may also inform future public health recommendations.

There you have it, work horses.

Despite being glued to your office chair all day long, it's extremely necessary to make sure you're finding a sliver of gym time in your hectic schedule.

When you're old, grey-haired and living out your retirement days, your body will be immensely grateful for the calculated fitness regimen you implemented during your younger years!

Citations: Here's Exactly How Much You Should Be Exercising If You Sit at a Desk All Day, Says Science (Pop Sugar), Does physical activity attenuate, or even eliminate, the detrimental association of sitting time with mortality? A harmonised meta-analysis of data from more than 1 million men and women (The Lancet)