Sitting too much is now listed with smoking and junk food as a bad habit that increases your risk of heart disease. New Australian research shows that half-an-hour in the gym will not make up for the waist-expanding damage caused by spending the rest of the day sitting. But the good news is that doing chores in the house or gently walking around the office while on the phone might be enough to keep you fit. The study joins the growing body of evidence suggesting too much sitting might undo the benefits of exercise.   The study measured the intensity of physical activities in 168 subjects over seven days. It found that, regardless of how much exercise they did or their total sitting time, those who took more breaks from sitting had lower risk of thick waists and lower levels of blood lipids . "Higher levels of blood lipids have been linked to a heightened risk of heart disease," principal researcher Genevieve Healy of the University of Queensland said. "What the study shows is that there are benefits in just getting up regularly and interrupting your sitting time." Researchers behind the Stand Up Australia project have written to the Rudd Government requesting $3.5 million for a two-year study into the impact how long sitting offects health and productivity of workers. The study would also develop and test strategies for reducing sitting time on the job. The latest study builds on work that is shifting the health promotion focus from purposeful exercise, such as running, to lower intensity activities throughout the day. The Australian research has been backed up by US studies. "To hold a body that weighs 77 kilograms upright takes a fair amount of energy from muscles," said Professor Marc Hamilton from the University of Missouri. "There is a large amount of energy associated with standing every day that cannot easily be replaced by 30 to 60 minutes in the gym." The health promotion focus used to be on  _  .
long sitting running lower intensity activities purposeful exercise