For your good health, stand up and take a short walk to avoid significant stretches of sitting. If your work involves sitting at a desk for eight hours a day, which is common today, or whether you favor being a couch potato at home, such long periods of sedentary time is associated with greater risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality, as well as colon, endometrial and lung cancers.^1-2

Also, contrary to popular belief, one long period of exercise does not combat the dangers of over-extended sitting. A major finding of research on sedentary behavior is that exercising before or after work (although beneficial in itself) does not undo the damage done by sitting all day.

So what is a person to do when his or her job demands working at a desk most of the day? The answer is simple: interrupt sitting time with brief exercises or walks may prevent the negative health effects of a sedentary job.