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In today’s world of tablets, smart phones, laptops, and video games, people are becoming too sedentary, and it’s causing an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart and blood vessel diseases, higher rates of breast and colon cancer, and other related health problems.

And the kicker is you can still meet your recommended daily activity goals and still be too sedentary!

According to Dale Bond, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior at the Brown University Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center, along with aerobic exercise (30 minutes daily) and resistance training (at least 2 times per week), which you should already be doing, we need to add a third type of daily activity to our lives; reducing sitting time.

A case in point is in a 1950’s study which found that men who did physically active jobs experienced less heart disease in middle age than those who had more sedentary jobs. And we’ve got more sedentary jobs now than ever before, don’t we?

So, here are some tips on sitting less at work and home!
These will help lower your triglycerides, raise your HDL (good) cholesterol, decrease waist circumference, and many other things that sitting too much can cause.

Take the stairs!
Personally deliver your messages to co-workers rather than emailing them.
Walk around the block or building after eating lunch.
For a 1-1 quick meeting, take a walk rather than sitting in the office.
Ask your company for a standing desk. They are all the rage right now! I’m standing as I write this.
Park your car at the farthest spot, rather than the closest.

Limit TV watching to your favorites, DVR so you can skip commercials and do sit ups, push ups and stretches while watching
Pace while talking on the phone.
Get up every 30 minutes to take a walk/stretch break while playing games, emails, Facebook, etc. (set an alarm)
Take a walk after dinner. ( I love this one!)
While watching kids sporting events, walk the sidelines rather than sitting the entire time.
Employing these little tricks can make a huge difference in your health, and you are worth it!