In the UK the average person spends nearly 9 hours a day sitting down. Add to this 6-8 hours of sleeping and this equates to just spending one third of the time on our feet.
This prolonged inactivity puts us all at risk of becoming obese, getting heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, DVT, brittle bones, back problems, depression and dementia.
This threat is so bad that health experts are calling this the 'new smoking'. The World Heath Organisation (WHO) have already classed inactivity as the fourth biggest killer in the world, even ahead of obesity.
Inactivity costs the UK economy more than one billion pounds every year in sick days due to back, neck and muscle issues and this cost is still rising.
Sitting down for too long also slows down the body's metabolism and the way our bodies break down fat reserves. However being inactive can increase our blood sugar levels and blood pressure.
So what can we do to alleviate this? Well even doing small amounts of regular activity throughout the day, such as just standing and moving around can help. These small amounts do add up as scientists have suggested that doing 30 minutes of light activity in 2 - 3 minute bursts a day could be just as effective as 30 minutes of solid exercise.
Also you can increase your activity levels by using the stairs instead of the lift, walking instead of using the car for short distances and walking to your work colleague's desk instead of sending them an e-mail.
Incorporating any or all of these into our daily lives will help reduce the risk of an early death and help us to be fitter in later life.
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