Physical Inactivity Increases the Risk of Chronic Disease

The lack of movement, especially sitting for prolonged periods of time, promotes dozens of chronic diseases. The irony of this is that these risk factors are even applicable to those who actively exercise on a regular basis.

There is a great book written by Dr. James Levine, who is the co-director of the Mayo Clinic and of the Arizona State University Obesity Initiative. The name of the book is "Get Up! Why Your Chair Is Killing You and What You Can Do About It."

According to Levine, there are at least 10,000 published studies showing that sitting harms health, regardless of other lifestyle habits, including an excellent exercise program.

The average American adult spends about 10 hours or more each day sitting. Research indicates that you simply cannot offset 10 hours of sitting with one hour of exercise.

The ideal scenario is near-continuous movement throughout the day, even if you are standing rather than sitting. If you sit at work, periodically get up and walk around for at least 5 minutes every hour.

A standing desk is also a great option. But just don't stand there, move!

Walking 7,000 to 10,000 steps per day is recommended. There are plenty of fitness trackers and smart phone apps that can help you monitor your activity.

So, move it or lose it!

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