You squeezed in a brisk 30-minute walk before heading to the office, so even though you'll be sitting for the next 8 hours, you're fine, right? Sorry to burst your bubble, but, nope, not so much.

While working out at a moderate pace for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week was prescribed in the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans as the amount of exercise needed for health benefits, it may not be enough to counteract the health risks associated with the hours most Americans spend sitting each day, according to new research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This recent study found that the more you sit, the higher your risk of mortality.



The link between inactivity and health problems certainly isn’t new: Research released by the American Institute for Cancer Research last fall said it’s possible that over 90,000 new cancer cases each year may be due to a lack of exercise or extended periods of sedentary behaviors, even among daily exercisers.

Walk Off 5 Times More Belly Fat

And a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that women who sat for more than 6 hours each day had a 37% increased risk of premature death, compared with women who sat for less than 3—regardless of how often they hopped on a treadmill.



So why is sitting so bad for you? Experts suspect it may be because your body doesn’t produce as much fat-burning enzymes if it’s sitting all day. Another theory is that your body becomes so accustomed to this position that your muscles don’t work as well when you try to do other activities, which hurts your posture and ability to exercise.

The good news is that desk jockey or not, you can still counteract the risks of sitting. Here are some easy ways to squeeze activity into your day:

At work:

-Keep a small water glass that you have to refill often, instead of a large water bottle, on your desk.

-When sitting, draw in your ab muscles and tap your toes.



At home:

-When tidying up, put things away in multiple small trips rather than one big haul.

-Stand up and march during your favorite TV shows.



Running errands:

-Take a lap around the grocery store before you start shopping.

-When picking up your kids from school, get out of the car and greet them with a hug instead of waiting in the car curbside.



See how you can burn 1,000 more calories each day without ever setting foot in a gym.

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