While the adverse effects of smoking are well known, sitting the whole day in a sedentary lifestyle is as bad, or even worse. And standing by your desk is not a solution to the problem. According to NYU Langone-based cardiologist Dr. Stephen Williams, being sedentary can be life-threatening. “When people come to the office and say that they have an active life because they are on their feet all day, I am not impressed,” Williams told The New York Post. “You may not be moving at a pace that fits the definition of ‘physical activity'.

Dr. Williams said the only way to make your body thrive is to move.

According to experts, workouts and exercise offer a host of benefits, which include weight management, lower blood pressure, improved cholesterol, stronger bones and muscles, and reduced inflammation. It also helps your brain function properly and helps alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression.

However, according to Dr. Williams, it is a sad reality that people are not moving enough. Data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that less than one-third of adults get the recommended 150 minutes of moderate activity each week, while one in four sit for more than eight hours daily.

For those working in offices and sitting for longer hours, it can have short- and long-term effects on your health and body, making this seemingly benign activity potentially deadly. Apart from weak legs, weight gain, bad back, anxiety, and depression, you can suffer from stiffness in the shoulders due to prolonged sitting.

Also, emerging studies suggest that being sedentary for long hours can increase your risk of certain types of cancer, including lung, uterine, and colon cancers. However, the reasons for this are not entirely clear.

And so, to get over the risks of sitting the whole day, it is important to get your body moving. According to Dr. Williams, it is crucial to get daily activity, and that too, consistently.

While you do not need to spend hours at the gym or running miles on end to improve your health, make sure to get your heart rate up for 10-15 minutes at a time, for a total of 30 minutes each day. A few ways you can move more daily include:

Even though it is boring, just skip the elevator and take the stairs. It increases your heart rate, helps with balance, and improves lower-extremity strength.

If you work from home or have transitioned to virtual conference calls, schedule a walk during one call per day. Also, you can plug in your headphones, slip your phone in your pocket, and do your meetings while being on a walk, as it is a great way to mix up your daily routine. Even if you are in the office, take your one-on-one meetings to go.

You can lunge anytime, anywhere. Twice a day, try doing 10–20 lunges in a single pass.

While you also need to be safe and alert to your surroundings, after considering your security, make sure to park further from the entrance of wherever you are going.

While watching television, make sure to use that time productively. You can walk on the treadmill, use a stationary bike, stretch on the floor, use weights for upper- and full-body strengthening, or do Pilates during your next Netflix session.

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