How much you should sit, stand, walk and sleep in 24 hours

A recent study found that for optimal health, you'll need to spend a whopping four hours every day engaged in some degree of physical activity.

Researchers from Swinburne University of Technology in Australia analyzed the behavior of 2,000 people within a 24-hour time period to determine the right mix of exertion and relaxation for optimal health.

The ideal breakdown was approximately: eight hours of sleep, five hours of standing, six hours of sitting and four hours split between light and moderate physical activity.

That breakdown contributed to maintaining ideal glycemic control and promoted heart health.

Moderate to vigorous physical activity can include brisk walking or cycling, jogging, jumping and aerobic dance, while light physical activity can mean anything from walking to cooking and completing household chores to laughing out loud.

These latest recommendations were published in Diabetologia.

The standard for shut-eye

The team at Swinburne recommends people get eight hours and 20 minutes of sleep to support their overall health, while lower and higher volumes of sleep are to be avoided.

This research reflects the opinions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends folks get at least seven hours of sleep per night. While the dangers of sleep deprivation are well-documented, sleeping more than nine hours a night has been linked to an increased risk of stroke.

Researchers noted, "Shorter sitting time and more time spent standing, undergoing physical activity, and sleeping are associated with preferable cardiometabolic health. This breakdown encompasses a wide range of health markers and converges on the 24 hours associated with overall optimal health."