Remaining sedentary for extended periods of time can shorten the life of heart patients, according to the author of a new research paper.

According to MarketWatch, moving around every 20 minutes within an eight-hour window plus burning more than 770 calories per day should help extend the lives of heart patients, based on research by Ailar Ramadi, postdoctoral fellow in the faculty of rehabilitation medicine at University of Alberta, Edmonton.

Ramadi’s study had 132 patients with coronary artery disease and 77% were men. The average age of participants was 63.

“There is a lot of evidence now that sitting for long periods is bad for health,” Ramadi said, according to MarketWatch.

The study was present October 20 at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress. Ramadi recommended light movement, with heart patients standing up and/or walking at a casual pace.