Does your occupation require you to sit for long hours? Beware, it may worsen your health and raise the risk of death similar to that of obesity and smoking, warned a doctor on 23 May.

“If you sit for more than 8 hours daily and don't do any physical activity, your risk of dying is similar to that posed by smoking and obesity,” Dr Sudhir Kumar, a neurologist from Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, said in a post on social media platform X.com.

The neurologist noted that “health hazards associated with prolonged sitting are increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, abdominal adiposity (obesity), elevated LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, heart attack, stroke, cancer, and premature death”.

To counter the ill effects of prolonged sitting, Dr Sudhir suggested “60-75 minutes of moderately intense physical activity daily (such as brisk walking, running or cycling)”.

However, he warned that sitting for more than 13 hours daily, while also doing exercise “cannot counter the ill-effects posed by prolonged sitting”.

The doctor advised taking 5-minute standing or walking breaks after every 30-45 minutes of sitting while suggesting some measures to minimise sitting duration.

“Prefer standing work desks, have meetings and coffee breaks in standing position, reduce leisure-time sitting (such as while watching TV, mobile phones, other electronic gadgets), and schedule 45-60 minutes walk daily,” Dr Sudhir said.