I exercise… so why do I sit for the rest of the day?

You wake early, train, and leave the gym feeling accomplished. Then you sit in the car, at your desk until late afternoon, and on the sofa until bed. Familiar?

People often ask me whether all that sitting matters if they exercise regularly. It does — though not in the way that should worry you.

Your workout still counts

Regular physical activity remains one of the strongest things we know for heart, metabolic, muscle and mental health. The WHO recommends 150–300 minutes of moderate activity, or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity, each week, plus muscle-strengthening on two or more days. A long day at a desk does not erase that.

Sitting is a separate question

The WHO's 2020 guidelines treat activity and sedentary time as two different measures. You can meet every activity target and still spend most waking hours seated. The advice is to limit sedentary time and replace it with activity of any intensity, including light activity. Doing more than the recommended moderate-to-vigorous activity may also help offset the effects of high sedentary time.

How often should I get up?

There is no universal, medically established rule such as "every 30 minutes". What we know is the direction: less sitting, more movement spread across the day. As a practical example, you might stand for two or three minutes every 30 to 60 minutes, or tie movement to moments — after each meeting, or each glass of water.

• Stand or walk during phone calls.
• Keep your water bottle a short walk away.
• Turn short one-to-one meetings into walks.
• Walk for a few minutes after meals.
• In the evening, get up between episodes and tidy something.

If standing is hard for you

If you use a wheelchair, live with chronic pain, or are recovering from injury, the principle still applies. Move your arms and shoulders, lift your knees alternately while seated, circle your ankles, change position, or add a gentle back stretch. Any activity is better than none; a clinician or physiotherapist can help tailor it.

Keep your workout. Pick one recurring moment in your day and make it a cue to move. Exercise builds your capacity; movement through the day protects it.