Next time you're on a bus or train, holding on to a pole to avoid a fall, cranky that another commuter has nabbed the last seat, consider the fact that standing up could boost your longevity.
Not only do we need to get more exercise but we also need to spend less of our time sitting down, Australian researchers say.
Their study of more than 220,000 NSW residents found the longer you spend sitting down the greater your risk of dying early, even if you otherwise do regular exercise.
Professor David Dunstan, from the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, said health workers usually focused on trying to increase people's participation in sports, and trying to get them to do at least half an hour of exercise every day.
Studies on animals have shown that when the body stops moving for long periods of time it slows down one of the key enzymes needed to break down blood fats.
The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found adults who sat for more than 11 hours a day had a 40 per cent increased risk of dying within three years, compared with those who sat for fewer than four hours a day.
People who sat for eight to 11 hours a day increased their risk of dying by 15 per cent.
Doing at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day is still important but it's just as critical for people to reduce their sitting time.
In fact, the average adult spends 90 per cent of their leisure time sitting down.
We sit while eating our breakfast, we sit as we drive, we sit behind our desk all day, we're always sitting down and this is a health risk.
We need to take those opportunities to stand up, while on transport, at work and during our leisure time.
It will require people to drastically change, which is hard, but that's the goal.
So the moral of this scary tale is to do a Kylie and do the locomotion! Or if you are looking for something a little more subtle visit www.cardiotech.com.au today!