Brits spend 18 years of their lives sitting down

Between commutes, leisure and office time, the average Brit will spend more than 18 years of their adult life sat down, spending around seven hours a day seated, almost 52 hours a week, according to a new study. Vitamin expert Solgar UK commissioned the research to examine concerns that movement is being consistently stripped from our day-to-day lives in favour of a more inactive lifestyle.

The figures revealed that the average brit spends around four hours a day on their feet, with 45% admitting they have no idea how much exercise they should be doing per week, which is around two and a half hours, according to experts. The increased sitting down could be affecting workers’ health, as one in 10 admit they have suffered from health problems from sitting too long in the same place, and over half of respondents admitted they get back pain from sitting in the same place all day.

Joint and muscle problems are a direct consequence of lack of exercise, according to Solgar UK, which warns that the public are in “real danger” of spending too long sitting to lose weight and stay active, with long term effects down the road. Aching joints put people off physical activities, but the experts are urging the public toward the opposite with the hashtag #designedtomove, as spine and knee ache is often a direct result of staying inactive for long periods.

“People forget that we were not built to sit still all the time but designed to move,” said Paul Chamberlain, head of nutrition and education at Solgar UK. “It’s important to ensure that joint issues aren’t affecting your ability to stay active – we’d like to help educate people on how to maintain their health at home and at work and encourage Brits to be more active.”