Doing This 1 Simple Thing Will Save You From All That Sitting You Do

Chances are you've heard that sitting for long periods of time can mess with your health — even if you hit the gym on the regular.
The more time you spend on your butt, the higher your risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and early death, according to hoards of studies that compare people's sedentary time to their health records.


Scientists know that sitting is bad, but they've only just discovered what appears to be the best remedy: Walking — for as little as two minutes per hour, according to a new American Society of Nephrology study in which researchers used health records and data from fitness trackers to compare the benefits of standing, walking, and jogging.

While most people in the study were largely sedentary, those who walked around for about two minutes per hour had a 33 percent lower risk of death during the study than people who sat without walking breaks. Jogging breaks helped too, although fewer people reported regular jogging. And bad news for people who swear by their standing desks: Simply standing didn't appear to have any protective benefits.

This new research only suggests a correlation between short walks and living longer, not hard-and-fast proof that walking a bit will definitely extend your life. Even so, it's well worth your time to spend 120 extra seconds per hour walking around. After all, it's a minuscule price to pay for the prospect of adding years to your life.