What is sedentary behaviour?

Sedentary behaviour is sitting or lying for long periods of time while you’re awake.

This can include sitting at your desk at work or school, driving, or watching TV.

Limiting sedentary time to 8 hours or less within 24 hours is recommended. This includes: 

• no more than 3 hours of recreational screen time
• breaking up long periods of sitting as often as you can  

Replacing sedentary behavior with additional physical activity can provide greater health benefits.  

Follow the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines to get the benefits of a variety of types and intensity of physical activity, to minimize sedentary behavior and to get good quality sleep on a regular basis.