Taking regular breaks from desk 'good for the heart'

Taking lots of breaks from sitting at a desk is good for the waistline and heart health, research suggests. Even breaks as short as a minute - to stand up, move around or climb stairs - are of benefit, says a study. The European Heart Journal report adds further weight to evidence that sitting for long periods can be bad for health. Experts found those who sat down for long periods without getting up had a larger waist circumference and lower levels of good HDL cholesterol. Lead researcher Dr Genevieve Healy, of The University of Queensland, Australia, said: "Our research showed that even small changes, which could be as little as standing up for one minute, might help to lower this health risk. "It is likely that regular breaks in prolonged sitting time could be readily incorporated into the working environment without any detrimental impact on productivity, although this still needs to be determined by further research. "'Stand up, move more, more often' could be used as a slogan to get this message across."