The World Health Organisation and Public Health England already recommend at least 150 minutes of exercise a week, and Ekelund is far from the first person to highlight the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle.

Individuals who spend more than six hours a day in their chair are at an increased long-term risk of diabetes, back pain, cardiovascular diseases and cancer – specifically ‘female’ cancers linked to body fat and oestrogen levels. Nilofer Merchant, a former CEO who lectures on innovation and board governance at Stanford University, has called sitting “the smoking of our generation”. He recommends that colleagues take a walk together rather than hold sitting-down meetings, as a way of “resolv[ing] the tradeoff between ‘taking care of health’ and ‘getting stuff done’.”

Now, if you don’t mind – we’re just popping out for a stroll…

Spend all day sitting down at your desk? You’re more likely to die early