Cardiologist issues urgent warning about one common lifestyle habit which is as risky to health as smoking

Health professionals have warned of a habit which can be even worse for you than smoking and we all do it to varying degrees.

Ah, health. It seems you're damned if you do and damned if you don't - do this, do that, but certainly don't do this. Well, it turns out, that some things are a bit unavoidable, like one habit most people who work an office job do every single day, however, thankfully there are some ways to combat it.

The habit

Cardiologist at NYU Langone Stephen Williams told The New York Post he's had people come into his office and declare they have an 'active life because they are on their feet all day'.

Alas, Williams is left '[un]impressed'. Why?

Well, many of these people say they're active simply because they've bought themselves a standing desk and think that makes them physically active when this isn't really the case.

Standing still - despite being slightly better than sitting still - is still classified as a 'sedentary lifestyle'.

And Williams noted: "A sedentary lifestyle is now seen as the 'new smoking lifestyle' - it is that bad."

But how bad is it really?

Sitting without taking breaks getting up is bad for you (Getty Stock Image)

The risk

Well, if you sit for too long every day without a break of movement it's more likely you'll gain weight. Healthline states 'research shows that people with obesity sit for an average of two hours longer each day than do people with a normal weight'.

There is evidence sitting too much can increase the risk of early death, however, one study found no link between sitting time and overall mortality.

Healthline adds: "Sedentary behavior is consistently linked to more than 30 chronic diseases and conditions, including a 112 percent increase in your risk of type 2 diabetes and a 147 percent increase in heart disease risk.

"Studies have shown that walking fewer than 1,500 steps per day, or sitting for long periods without reducing calorie intake, can cause a major increase in insulin resistance, which is a key driver of type 2 diabetes."

Thankfully, there are things you can do to help improve your health if sitting is a bit of an unavoidable part of your lifestyle.

The cardiologist said a simple 'stroll' can be 'beneficial' (Getty Stock Image)

How to improve

"If you have seen your physician and you are cleared to be active, it is essential to have daily physical activity," Williams said.

He even advised a simple 'stroll' as being 'beneficial'.

Healthline adds: "New research has found that 22 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise can significantly reduce mortality risk in those 50 and over."

Williams noted another way to figure out what level of 'intensity' your exercise is at is to 'monitor your heart rate' during the activity and make sure you are 'within 50-70 percent of your maximum heart rate'.

"Which is calculated by subtracting your age from 220," he explained.