Ihave a confession to make: even though I write about health for a living and I know how important physical activity is for our health, much of my working life has been spent sitting down.

Research suggests that over the course of 24 hours there is a “Goldilocks” or “just right” amount of time for sitting, sleeping, standing and moving. In fact, at the end of this year, new physical activity guidelines will be released in Australia with a 24-hour emphasis that considers the mix of the five Ss (sleeping, sitting, stepping, sweating and strengthening) probably echoing those in Canada .

We all know we should move more, but it doesn’t always mean we do it. Credit: Getty Images

The “just right” amounts for our cardiometabolic health is 8½ hours of sleep; no more than six hours sitting

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