How often should you get up from your computer?
Mia Lopez
Updated on February 18, 2026
Sitting behind your desk all day is bad for your health and experts have long been advising people to stand at their workstations for about 15 minutes an hour. But a University of Waterloo professor says his research shows that people should be standing for at least 30 minutes per hour to get health benefits.
How often do you need to get up from desk?
While experts initially recommended standing up for about 15 minutes every hour, research suggests standing at least 30 minutes every hour. Optimal stand-sit ratios vary between 1:1 and 3:1. At its highest, that equates to about 45 minutes of standing for every hour of sitting.How often should you get up and move from your desk?
Research has warned time and time again that “sitting disease” is real. But if you're sitting all day at work, you should get up every 30 minutes and move to cut your risk of death, a new study is advising.How many hours a day should I stand at my desk?
Many ergonomic experts recommend standing about 5-15 minutes out of every hour when using a standing desk, although research is ongoing. One study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine recommends that it's ideal to move, stand, and take breaks from sitting for a total of at least 2 hours in an 8 hour work day.How long should you sit before getting up?
A growing amount of research suggests that just standing -- even if you don't walk around -- can have health benefits. To get the right balance, sit 20 minutes out of every half hour at work, standing for eight minutes and moving around for at least two minutes.10 Ways You're Using Your Computer WRONG!
How much sitting is too much?
But when experts analyze the handfuls of studies examining the effects of prolonged sitting, the data shows that sitting for more than eight hours a day can have a serious impact on a person's health.How many hours of sitting is considered sedentary?
Prolonged sedentary behavior is defined as sitting — whether at a work desk or in front of the TV — for at least six hours per day. For most people who work a typical workday in an office, that's probably on the low side, and even that amount of sitting around seems to extract high costs.How much standing is too much?
According to new research, it turns out that “prolonged standing” is bad for us, too. The study — which was conducted by scientists from Curtin University in Australia — found that adults who stood for 2 hours while working experienced an increase in whole-body discomfort and a reduced mental state.Is standing healthier than sitting?
The science of standingStanding requires more effort and energy than sitting, which means that it burns more calories. However, the research shows that standing at work instead of sitting will not help you lose weight because the difference in calories burned is minimal.
Is a standing desk better than sitting?
Besides less sitting time, standing at work has other benefits: More calories burned: One study showed that standing sheds 88 calories an hour, compared to 80 calories for sitting. Walking burns a lot more -- 210 calories an hour.How many hours of sitting is healthy?
LOW risk indicates sitting less than 4 hours per day. MEDIUM risk indicates sitting 4 to 8 hours per day. HIGH risk indicates sitting 8 to 11 hours per day. VERY HIGH risk indicates sitting more than 11 hours per day.How long is sitting too long?
An analysis of 13 studies of sitting time and activity levels found that those who sat for more than eight hours a day with no physical activity had a risk of dying similar to the risks of dying posed by obesity and smoking.How do I not be sedentary with a desk job?
6 Ways to Stay Active if You Sit at a Desk All Day
- Walk or Bike to Work. Many people who don't live that far from work get their daily exercise in by walking or biking to work. ...
- Ditch the Chair. ...
- Sit on an Exercise Ball. ...
- See Your Colleagues in Person. ...
- Take Regular Breaks. ...
- Visit a Physical Therapist.
What are the symptoms of sitting too long?
Here are 11 adverse effects on the body that can occur from sitting at your desk for too long.
- Low energy expenditure. ...
- Slower metabolism. ...
- Compromised posture. ...
- Back and spine injuries. ...
- Reduced social skills. ...
- Loneliness or depression. ...
- Metabolic Syndrome. ...
- Chronic Pain.