We all do it at some point in our day. Although inevitable, science says we should limit the amount of time we sit for as much as possible. The human body is simply not designed for a sedentary lifestyle. It seems that our risk of developing every major disease known to man increases by sitting too much, whether it be cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, or most types of cancer. So when it comes to sitting, how long is too long?

Electrical activity in our muscles drops as soon as we sit down and our calorie burning rate drops to one calorie per minute. Not a good start. On our third hour of sitting, artery dilation drops by 50 percent, causing a decrease in blood flow. Probably time to stand up and walk around a little. Sitting for 24 hours straight (not recommended) and our insulin’s ability to uptake glucose drops by 40 percent, meaning our type 2 diabetes risk increases dramatically.

But what if I workout regularly? Just like exercise doesn’t counteract the effects of smoking, it also does nothing to reverse the negative effects of sitting for too long. Wondering what years of sitting will mean for your long-term health? After 10 to 20 years of sitting for six hours a day, we may have lost seven quality adjusted years of life — years without medical complications or death. Not all is lost. Taking five minutes every hour to stand up and walk around can keep the blood pumping and prevent all of these horrific sitting side effects.