Sitting less at work: practical ideas

Many office workers spend most of their working day sitting, then sit again to travel home and relax. Australia's physical activity guidelines and workplace safety regulators both encourage breaking up that sitting. This guide explains what the guidelines say and gives practical ideas for moving more during the working day.

This guide is general information written in our own words, based on the official sources listed at the end. It isn't health, legal or tax advice. Everyone's body, work and space are different, so if you have pain or a health condition, talk to a health professional, and check tax questions with the ATO or a registered tax agent. We don't sell furniture or recommend particular brands or shops.

What the guidelines say

The Australian Government Department of Health's 24-hour movement guidelines for adults aged 18 to 64 recommend:

• limiting the amount of time spent being sedentary; and
• breaking up prolonged periods of sedentary behaviour as often as possible.

They also recommend being active most days, including moderate to vigorous activity for 30 minutes or more on most days, muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week and several hours of light-intensity physical activity daily. They note that replacing sedentary behaviour with physical activity of any intensity can provide greater health benefits.

What workplace regulators say

Safe Work Australia says sitting for long periods is common in Australian workplaces and that too much sitting or standing is bad for your health. It says workers shouldn't stay in a seated, standing or static posture for long periods, and that businesses have a duty to keep workers safe from the risks of excessive sitting and standing.

Ideas from Safe Work Australia

Safe Work Australia suggests reducing sitting time by supporting workers to:

• stand when working on a computer;
• stand to read a document;
• stand or walk during meetings;
• stand while talking on the phone;
• walk to deliver a message to a colleague rather than emailing.

More ideas for your day

Set reminders. A timer or calendar reminder can prompt you to stand, stretch or walk.

Use a sit-stand desk. WorkSafe Queensland suggests aiming to change posture every 30 minutes. See our sit-stand desk guide.

Move things away. Put the printer, bin or water bottle refill a short walk away.

Walk and talk. Take one-on-one meetings or calls on a walk.

Take active breaks. Use lunch or short breaks to walk outside.

Stand at the start of meetings. Even a few minutes helps break up sitting.

Active travel. Walking or cycling for part of your commute adds activity before and after work.

At home

Working from home can mean even less incidental movement: no walk to the station, no wandering to a colleague's desk. Build movement into your routine, such as a short walk before starting, standing for calls, and stepping away from the desk at lunch.

Standing isn't the whole answer

Safe Work Australia warns that prolonged standing can increase the risk of fatigue and illness. Standing still for hours just swaps one static posture for another. The goal is variety: sitting, standing and moving through the day. For standing work, Safe Work Australia suggests providing a chair or stool so workers can alternate, a footrest so they can raise either foot, and cushioning on hard floors.

Talking to your employer

Employers have duties under work health and safety laws to manage risks from sitting and standing, so far as is reasonably practicable. If you'd like changes such as a sit-stand desk, more flexible meeting arrangements or a workstation assessment, raise them with your manager or health and safety representative.

When to get advice

If you have pain, a health condition or are returning to activity after a long break, talk to your doctor or a physiotherapist about the right level of activity for you.

Ideas for meetings

Suggest standing for the first part of meetings, walking meetings for one-on-ones, and short breaks in long meetings. For online meetings, stand at a sit-stand desk or take audio-only calls on a walk. Safe Work Australia suggests standing or walking during meetings as one way to reduce sitting time.

Tracking your progress

Some people find it helpful to track how often they stand or move, using a simple tally, a timer or a fitness tracker. Notice patterns, such as long unbroken stretches in the afternoon, and plan movement into those times. Small, regular changes are easier to keep up than big ones.

Try the desk height checker

Our free desk height checker lets you enter your seated and standing elbow heights, and optionally a desk's lowest and highest settings. It suggests where your desk surface should sit and whether the desk's range covers your heights, using the AS/NZS 4442 ranges that WorkSafe Victoria cites. It runs entirely in your browser, and nothing you enter is sent anywhere.

Where our information comes from

Factual statements in our guides are based on official and authoritative sources, including Safe Work Australia, WorkSafe Victoria, WorkSafe Queensland, the Australian Government Department of Health, the Australian Taxation Office and the ACCC. We link to each source at the end of the page and write everything in our own words. We don't invent statistics, prices or product test results, and we don't rank or review brands.

Everyone is different

Workstation guidance describes general principles that suit most people. Your body, your tasks and your space are unique, and what feels comfortable for one person may not suit another. Use the guidance as a starting point, adjust until you're comfortable and, if you have pain or a health condition, get advice from a health professional such as a physiotherapist or occupational therapist.

Small changes add up

You don't need to replace all your furniture to work more comfortably. Raising a screen, moving a keyboard closer, adding a footrest or standing for phone calls can each make a difference. Start with the change that addresses your biggest discomfort, then review your setup again after a week.

Workplaces and employers

Employers have duties under work health and safety laws to manage risks to workers, including from workstations and from too much sitting or standing, so far as is reasonably practicable. That applies in offices and, in many cases, when people work from home. If your workstation isn't working for you, talk to your manager or health and safety representative.

Corrections and feedback

We review our guides against their sources and show the date each page was last checked. If you notice something out of date or incorrect, such as a change to ATO rates or workplace guidance, please tell us through our contact page. We read every message and correct mistakes promptly.

About this site

Office Desks is an independent information site. We aren't a furniture retailer, manufacturer, ergonomist, government agency or tax adviser, and we don't sell furniture or recommend particular brands or shops. Our guides are general information, not health, legal or tax advice.

A short glossary

Sit-stand desk: a desk whose height can be raised and lowered so you can work sitting or standing. Desk converter: a platform on top of a desk that raises the screen and keyboard. Footrest: a stable, sloped platform for your feet when they don't reach the floor comfortably. Five-point base: a chair base with five castors or glides, the most stable design. Monitor arm: an adjustable bracket that holds a screen above the desk. AS/NZS 4442: the Australian and New Zealand standard for office desks, which WorkSafe Victoria cites for desk height ranges. Decline in value: the ATO term for claiming the cost of an asset over its effective life.

Key points

• Australian guidelines recommend limiting sedentary time and breaking up long periods of sitting.
• Too much sitting or standing is bad for your health; aim for variety.
• Stand for calls and reading, walk in meetings, walk to colleagues.
• At a sit-stand desk, aim to change posture about every 30 minutes.
• Raise changes with your employer; they have duties to manage the risks.