We all know that sitting too much is bad for your health. A recent study says one in four people sit more than eight hours a day.
Researchers found the highest percentage of adults sit six to eight hours a day. The smallest percentage of people said they sat less than four hours per day and get sufficient exercise, which was defined by the survey as at least 150-300 minutes of moderate to intense exercise per week.
The study looked at data on 5,923 adults who took part in a national survey.
High amounts of sedentary behavior and low levels of physical activity have been linked to increased risks of early death and developing several chronic diseases.
According to the survey, four in 10 people are physically inactive, and one in 10 are physically inactive and also sit more than eight hours a day.
Dr. Donald Ford with the Cleveland Clinic says the real danger is when people sit all day at work and then go home and don't exercise.
If you're one of those people who sit all day at work, there are some things you can do to get moving.
The Centers for Disease Control says that our sedentary lifestyles cost nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars in lost productivity. Getting up and moving, even for just a few minutes, can help your heart and your health.
Ally Bowersock with RunAbout Sports Roanoke says, "So now we have plenty of data that shows sitting for long periods of time can be just as bad as smoking and eating a poor diet. So we need to find ways to break up the sitting, even if it's five minutes at a time or just a couple of seconds."
If you sit at your desk, there are some simple exercises you can do. Use your desk as a workout bench and do pushups. You can also use it to do dips and squats. Just a few minutes here and there adds up.
Other things you can do: Park farther from the door, use the stairs instead of the elevator, and take phone calls standing up. When talking to a co-worker, walk to their desk instead of picking up the phone.