As If I Need Another Reason To Get Off My @ss

This morning when I opened up my window to the outside world, I was greeted but not suprised, by this astounding bit of research:

Sitting May Increase Risk of Disease
University of Missouri-Columbia (2007, November 20). Sitting May Increase Risk Of Disease. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 20, 2007, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2007/11/071119130734.htm

Excerpt from article:

They found evidence that sitting had negative effects on fat and cholesterol metabolism. The researchers also found that physical inactivity throughout the day stimulated disease-promoting processes, and that exercising, even for an hour a day, was not sufficient to reverse the effect.

There is a misconception that actively exercising is the only way to make a healthy difference in an otherwise sedentary lifestyle. However, Hamilton's studies found that standing and other non-exercise activities burn many calories in most adults even if they do not exercise at all.

No surprise there. We've been told for years to put down the remote and potato chips, get off the couch, and exercise until you're ready to drop in the hopes of avoiding whatever chronic disease is destined to make our later years unbearable. This study states that it's not so much the strenuous exercise that's necessary - it is simply necessary to not spend so much time sitting. Standing, as opposed to sitting, is beneficial.
I have not read the actual paper to be published so I cannot speak for the quality of this research, but I'm willing to risk saying that this is good information.

So get off yer derriere as much as possible (assuming you do not have a pre-existing condition that would make standing or otherwise moving from a seated position a bad idea).