Sit less, living longer

• Michael Clouse

Terre Haute, Ind. (WTHI) - You probably know that a lack of exercise is not good for you, but would you believe that it could kill you?

A new study shows that sitting for too long can actually reduce your life expectancy.

The study , done by the online journal BMJ, shows that sitting for more than three hours a day can take up to two years off your life. They claim that if people sat for less than three hours per day, the life expectancy of Americans would be 80.5 years instead of 78.5 years.

The reason for this is that inactivity can get rid of muscle fibers that keep you healthy.

"What muscle mass does is it increases your metabolism," said Anthony Mazzon, a fitness specialist at Union Hospital. "Increasing your metabolism helps keep your body healthy, keeps you from gaining too much weight; it keeps your body where it needs to be."

For many people who work at a desk, sitting is a necessity. However, there are ways to move around, even if you're working all day.

Every hour, get up and go get a drink or talk to coworkers. This can only take a few minutes.

Another good idea is to go for a walk on your lunch break.

Staying active through these small activities will keep your muscles intact.

If you're home watching television, try doing a standing activity while you're watching.

If you're worried about losing valuable work time, Mazzon says that staying active during the day will actually improve your productivity.