How bad sitting too much is for your health?

Modern work activities come with some costs as they affect our health. It is bad for both men and women, regardless of how much exercise one does every week. Some studies show that sitting affects women even more. The more hours women spend sitting at work, driving, lying on the couch watching TV, or engaged in other leisurely pursuits, the greater their odds of dying early from all causes, including heart disease and cancer. One of the largest pieces of research to date involving almost 800,000 people found that, compared with those who sat the least, people who sat the longest had a: (1) 112% increase in risk of diabetes(2) 147% increase in cardiovascular events(3) 90% increase in death caused by cardiovascular events(4) 49% increase in death from any causeProlonged sitting makes you spend fewer calories than you would while standing and demands less effort from your body which is thought to slow the metabolism and affect the body's ability to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and break down body fat. This may lead to other behaviors that contribute to obesity and heart disease. ...

So what can you do about it? Here are some suggestions:

(1) Work on your habits: At home, consider a TV commercial your signal to get out of the couch. At work, take short breaks every hour to refill your glass, talk to a colleague or go to the bathroom etc.

(2) Use a standing desk at work. It is becoming more and more common

(3) Change social norms and stand during meetings

Once people sit less, they are more open to the idea of moving more and to being more active. ...