Workers with desk jobs are at almost double the risk of dying younger, a new study suggests.
People who sit for long periods are in greater danger of death at an earlier age even if they regularly exercise, the data shows.
But scientists say the threat is dramatically reduced if walks are taken about every 30 minutes, The Sun reports.
The study suggests that volunteers who sat for no more than half an hour at a time had the lowest risk of death.
The biggest risk of early death was in those who sat for up to 90 minutes, according to the latest research.
For the data, a US team at Columbia University, New York, studied almost 8,000 adults over 45.
Researcher Monika Safford said: “Sitting really is the new smoking.
"We need creative ways to ensure we not only cut back on the amount we sit but increase regular bursts of activity.”
It comes after a study last year by Cambridge University found one in six deaths – 90,000 per year – were caused by 9-5 office lifestyles.
Type 2 diabetes, Heart disease, strokes, cancer, and dementia were mainly to blame.
The same study estimated that 37 per cent of British adults spend less than 30 minutes on their feet a day.
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