Here’s exactly how many hours you should be sitting, sleeping, standing, and exercising each day

Whether in the office, when we were WFH, watching TV or out for a girls dinner, we spend a lot of our time sitting. In fact, the NHS says the average Briton spends around nine hours a day on their back.

However, a new study has determined exactly how much time we spend it should sitting and hinting that they were well above the recommendation.

Researchers from Swinburne University of Technology and the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Australia have discovered how we should divide each of our precious 24-hour days, breaking it down into how much time we should spend sitting, standing, sleeping and doing exercise.

According to researchers, the ideal daily balance is as follows:

• 6 hours sitting
• 5 hours and 10 minutes standing
• 8 hours and 20 minutes of sleep
• 2 hours and 10 minutes of light intensity physical activity
• 2 hours and 10 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity

OK, now before you dismiss the idea that we should be getting almost *check notes* FOUR AND A HALF HOURS of exercise a day, the researchers caution that light activity can involve doing housework and making dinner , while the moderate Activity includes purposeful movement such as a brisk walk or a session at the gym.

This breakdown spans a wide range of health markers and converges on the 24 hours associated with overall optimal health, said Dr Christian Brakenridge of Swinburne’s Center for Urban Transitions.

However, with most Britons sleeping an average of seven hours a night and working around eight hours a day, how is it really possible to meet these recommendations?

While it’s important to prioritize good quality sleep every night and incorporate movement into your day, it can be difficult for everyone to do, fitness, wellness and nutrition expert Penny Weston tells GLAMOR UK.

If you have a mostly sitting job, like at a desk for eight hours a day, or you have young children, it can be difficult to fit so much exercise and movement into your day. Many people struggle to get more than eight hours of good quality sleep per night, every night, so it’s not entirely realistic either.

Dr. Aileen Alexander, founder of Nourish, adds that unless your job involves exercise, fitting in that much exercise each day would be difficult.

Also, I would seriously question whether two or more hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day is healthy, she adds. An important part of exercise is recovery to allow our bodies to adapt and get stronger. This amount of daily exercise does not allow for adequate rest and recovery.

However, Dr Alexander says this study carries an important message that we should spend more time moving or standing, and less time sitting.

The best way to approach this would be to create new habits rather than using such specific guidelines, explains Dr. Alexander. She suggests investing in a standing desk if you work from home, or suggest walking meetings with a colleague to get some fresh air and incorporate movement into your workday.

Weston says that gradually changing the way you divide your days is better than strictly following these guidelines.

A better way to do this is to assess what you’re doing regularly and gradually increase your movement, he explains. “So, for example, if you’re currently sitting for 10 hours a day and only doing light activity for an hour a day, try walking more during the day and taking small breaks throughout the day to get up and move around.

As for sleep, try implementing a sleep routine and turn off your electronics at least an hour before bed if you’re having trouble getting enough sleep per night. As long as you make positive changes for yourself, it’s better than nothing.