Is sitting the new smoking?

Sitting at a desk, driving for long periods of time, staring at a screen for too long — all increase risk for certain health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Sitting for too long can also affect your mental health, including experiencing or exacerbating symptoms of depression and anxiety. Sitting too much during the day can even increase the risk of early death, related to being overweight and developing heart disease or type 2 diabetes.

Our bodies function better in an upright position — specifically the cardiovascular and digestive systems perform at their highest efficiency when standing versus sitting for long periods of time.So, the verdict is in less sitting and more moving equals overall better health.

So how can you combat sitting disease?

Try this list of possible solutions:

Take a break every 30 minutes of sitting
60-75 minutes of activity a day has been shown to be the solution to too much sitting (defined as more than 8 hours a day).
Light intensity, daily activity has shown to provide cardiovascular benefits and reduced blood pressure. Sitting should be interrupted every 30 minutes to improve blood glucose.
Try to stand as much as possible during your workday. Examples of ways to encourage more movement or standing include using a standing desk or stack up your computer so it’s elevated to eye level (on books, table, etc.), walking while on the phone, having walking meetings instead of sitting in a conference room or on video calls.
Fit activity in-between meetings. Stretch or do light exercises, walk around the house (inside or outside), or try desk stretches.
When watching TV, incorporate activity during the commercials such as cleaning the house (take small trips versus putting away everything at one time), ironing clothes, or stretching.
Get outside by working in garden, taking a walk, doing yard work, or walking the dog.