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Sitting Can Take Two Years Off Your Life?!

You've probably already heard the news that sitting down for long periods of time is bad for your health. But new research breaks down just how bad it really can be.

According to an analysis of several studies by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, sitting for three hours a day can shave two years off of your life, even if you exercise regularly and don't smoke. It's even worse if you go home and watch TV for two hours—that will make you lose another 1.4 years.

Okay, we get the downside, but if you have a desk job or are in school, it's pretty difficult to avoid sitting down for most of the day. So are we just totally screwed? Nope, says Cosmo radio women's health expert Jennifer Wider, MD.

The big problem is that when you sit for long periods of time, your leg muscles are inactive which can eventually lead to other health problems. So Dr. Wider recommends doing little spurts of aerobic activity to get your legs moving.

Get up from your desk every half hour or so (going to the bathroom counts—just squat over the seat instead of sitting), take the stairs, stretch if you can, walk to lunch instead of driving or taking a cab, and stand up when you're talking on the phone.

No way in hell you'll be able to get up every half hour? Try scissoring your legs under your desk every once in a while—that should help, too.

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