For your health's sake - don't just sit there ... stand up!

It is vital that people who sit for most of the day incorporate extra physical activity into their daily routines.

That is the health message Professor Adrian Bauman, from the University of Sydney's School of Public Health, wants anyone who spends a large of their day sitting to hear.

In the second of the Sydney Medical School's public talk series 21st Century Medicine - today's research, tomorrow's health on 22 August Professor Bauman will focus on the scientific evidence behind his claims and explain how and why prolonged sitting is a new major health concern globally.

He says the evidence suggests that sitting for prolonged times is a health issue even if people are already active - in other words, even if you walked to work, or swam after work, sitting down at work all day without getting up can still be hazardous to your health.

However, Professor Bauman says the health consequences of prolonged sitting could be avoided if we simply stand-up!

"Is it possible that in five years time, office environments will look very different?" asks Professor Bauman. "Hopefully we will see 'standing desks' and fewer jobs that demand us to be sitting continually throughout the day."

Adrian Bauman is Sesquicentenary Professor of Public Health at the University of Sydney. He is an epidemiologist, public health physician, and Director of the Prevention Research Collaboration of the School of Public Health.

His research interests are in primary prevention, in particular physical activity and health, and in the new area of the health consequences of sitting time. He has published extensively in the scientific literature on physical activity research. His most recent paper 'Physical activity: more of the same is not enough' was published in the July edition of The Lancet and received international media attention.

Event details

What: Don't just sit there - stand up!

When: 6 to 7.30pm, Wednesday 22 August

Where: Lecture Theatre 101, New Law Building, Camperdown Campus. See map and directions

Cost: Free

Provided by University of Sydney