Have A Desk Job? In This Country, You Must Take Breaks Regularly

If you work in an office, chances are, you sit hunched over at your desk all day. But, if you live and work in the Philippines, you'll now have to take breaks to 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 go into effect 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.

Dangers of a sedentary lifestyle and prolonged sitting include the development of heart ailments, cancer, diabetes and even early 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. 

Another study claims that moderate exercise such as cycling and walking for just an hour daily may eliminate the health risks associated with sitting for eight or more hours a day.

So, what are you waiting for? Get up and get moving already!