Philippines makes it mandatory for sedentary workers to take regular 'standing' breaks

New Delhi: If you have a sitting job, chances are that your physical activity is zilch and you're slowly piling on the kilos.

Regardless, many of us are either too busy or lazy to take a walk at work other than going to the washroom when needed.

But the Philippines is all set to change that. Those in the Philippines who are required to sit all hunched up for hours on their desks in the office as a part of their job, will now have to take breaks – stand up and walk around – at regular intervals.

The new rules were introduced by the country's Department of Labor and Employment on October 18 and will be effective in two weeks.

Local media reports that according to the new rules, office workers must be given a five-minute break every two hours.

"(Employers) must encourage workers to reduce sedentary work by interrupting sitting time and substitute it with standing and walking," Philstar Global quotes the Department of Labor and Employment as saying.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer quotes the order as stating that employers must ensure workstations are appropriately designed for work.

"The employers, in consultation with its workers, may adopt other measures to address the occupational safety and health problems of workers who have to spend long hours sitting at work," the order adds.

Numerous studies over time have shown that people who have desk jobs or sitting jobs are more prone to various health problems as compared to those in other professions/fields.

Prolonged periods of sitting increase your risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, various types of cancer, back problems, brittle bones, etc., and as per a recent study, it can even lead to premature death.

In fact, research suggests that adults who sit for up to two hours at a stretch without moving have a higher mortality rate than adults who accrue the same amount of sedentary time in shorter bouts.