Should I worry about how long I spend sitting down?

‘You can mitigate postural problems to some extent by doing targeted stretches and mobility work.’ Photograph: Noel Hendrickson/Getty Images (posed by models)

Are you sitting comfortably? Should you be? In the past few years, you have probably read at least one headline claiming that sitting is “the new smoking”. While fundamentally that is not true – leaving aside that it’s a lot easier to live without cigarettes than without seats – it’s fair to say that our love affair with the chair does come with a few downsides.

So, how much sitting is OK, how often should you go for a little walk – and do gym balls do anything? Spoiler: you might want to be standing for this one.