Surprisingly common amount of time spent sitting down is dangerous for your health

A survey has revealed the amount of time sitting down a day which can be a risk factor, and it's not good news.

We all know exercise is good for your health, and sitting down for too long every day has the opposite effect.

You're probably now wondering what would constitute 'too long' when it comes to sitting down, and it's less than you might think.

Many modern activities involve sitting down (Westend61 / Getty)

Of course as with anything this should be taken with a pinch of salt, though not too much as sodium is also bad for your health, as other risks can also play a part in someone's life and health.

Lifestyle choices and genetics are both factors, despite those stories of people's grandparents who smoked 20 a day and lived to 90, and too much sitting is one of many things which could be bad for you.

But how much is too much?

Taking regular breaks from sitting helps to alleviate the effects (martin-dm / Getty)

Well, if you work in an office for eight hours a day, then you might want to sit down, or stand up actually.

That's because, according to Dr. Edward R. Laskowski writing for Mayo Clinic, if you are sitting down for between 8 and 11 hours a day, then you are at a high risk due to sitting too much.

An office job is an obvious factor as unfortunately the time periods match up so well, but don't think you're off the hook if you don't work in an office.

There's also things like driving, watching TV, and gaming, all of which generally involve long periods of sitting down.

Fortunately there are some simple things we can do which will help to counteract the effects, and yes one of them getting off your arse.

A standing desk could be a way to help sit down less (Luis Alvarez / Getty)

Dr Laskowski advises trying to take breaks from sitting every half an hour or so, this could be as simple as just going and walking around the room or stretching.

If you work in an office, you could get a standing desk, or if you live close enough could walk or cycle to work.

And in some even better news if you can't help but sit too much, having regular exercise helps to counteract some of the worst effects of being a chronic sitter.

When you are sitting down, it's good to avoid bad posture which could lead to neck or back pains.

So to summarise - regular breaks and exercise. Funny how those things always seem to feature in health advice isn't it?