Office workers are “too sedentary” and should move around more during the working day even if they cycle to work or use the gym, a health group has warned.

Medical experts say sitting in the same position for long periods is linked to a range of health problems, only some of which can be redressed with exercise before or after work.

The On Your Feet Britain campaign, launched by the group Get Britain Standing, says it presents one of the biggest challenges in keeping the country healthy.

More than half regularly eat lunch at their desks and nearly 80% admit they spend too much time sitting down.

It says businesses should encourage standing and walking during work time, with suggestions including standing meetings and standing desks.

Not being active enough can lead to problems including type two diabetes and even cancer.

This applies to people who consider themselves fit – such as those who jog or cycle to work yet spend much of the day sitting at a desk.

A survey by the campaign of 2,000 office workers suggests nearly half of women and more than a third of men spend less than 30 minutes per working day walking around.

More than half regularly eat lunch at their desks and nearly 80% admit they spend too much time sitting down.

Get Britain Standing has five core recommendations for people wanting to address the problem and get healthy:

1) Progress should be made towards at least two hours of standing per day and light activity, eventually progressing to a total accumulation of four hours per day.

2) You should try and break prolonged periods of sitting by standing at regular intervals. Sit to stand work stations are highly recommended.

3) Prolonged periods of static standing should also be avoided.

4) When first trialling standing office workers may feel some fatigue that will require some time to adapt to. These sensations should be able to be relieved by changing your posture or taking a quick walk.

5) Companies should promote workers to think about how much time they spend sitting outside of work too.