Did you know that sitting for long periods of time increases your risk of heart disease and stroke?  

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that many of us are working from home, or splitting our work time between home and the office. With this way of working we may find that we are sitting more than usual; we are no longer popping out for coffee, moving about to go to meetings or walking or cycling to and from the office.

A recent survey by the Irish Heart Foundation revealed that more than half of people working from home in Ireland are sitting for an average of two hours and 40 minutes longer per day.

It is recommended that we get 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity at least five days a week. However, this does not counteract the damage caused to our health by otherwise sitting for long periods of time.

But the Escape your Chair challenge is here to help! You can take this challenge any time of year. Calculate your sitting time with our sitting time calculator and look up our information and advice on building movement into your day. Throughout the challenge you can also access tips on healthy eating and ways to mind your mental health while you work from home.