Office workers need to get out of their chairs more and talk to people face-to-face instead of using email, according to researchers.

They are warning that people are spending too long sitting at desks.

A study, to be presented at the British Psychological Society’s Annual Occupational Conference, claims people spend an average of five hours and 41 minutes at their desk on a work day.

The researchers said workers “just forget” to stand up.

Dr Myanna Duncan, from Loughborough University, said: “We’re looking at an ageing population, working later into their lives. To work later you need to be healthy.”

She warned that people were spending nearly as long at their desks as they were sleeping in the beds.

She added that people who sat at work were also more likely to sit at home and “surprise, surprise” this was linked with weight.

The study was based on interviews and surveys with more than 1,000 people from a variety of jobs including those in retail and telecommunications.

Dr Duncan said: “We need to be aware of how much we sit.

“People don’t need a psychologist to tell them to get up and walk around. But if it helps, I’d tell them to put a post-it note on their computer to remind them.

“Go and talk to your colleagues face to face, it’s a lot more sociable and better for you than emailing them.”