The basics

Odds are there’s nothing we do more of in a single day than sit. A recent survey of more than 6,000 American adults showed were spending an average of eight hours a day, or 56 hours a week, with our fannies planted on a chair. That’s no doubt more than we’re sleeping, and never mind exercising.

A cautionary note

Some doctors now believe sitting is unhealthy to the point that you could call it a disease — at least disease-causing. Interactivity research, a relatively new scientific discipline dedicated to studying our all-too-sedentary existence, indicates the body actually goes into something akin to a computer’s sleep mode when we’re hunched in front of a screen or zoned out watching “American Idol.” Fat-burning enzymes, particularly lipoprotein lipase, which breaks down triglycerides in the blood, cease working and LPL can drop by as much as 50 percent, studies show. It’s thought that we’re burning an average of 1,000 fewer calories daily than a generation ago.

For expert advice

Check out the book, “Move a Little, Lose a Lot” by Dr. James Levine, who directs the Active Life research team at the Mayo Clinic, and co-authored by Selene Yeager.

A sample quote, taken from a recent issue of Bicycling Magazine: “When you sit all day, you are doing something completely opposite of what you were designed to do. That’s like hammering nails with a cell phone. Failure is inevitable.”

Our two-cents’ worth

Walk as much as you can, even if it means pacing the halls of your office building every couple hours. Visit colleagues on another floor instead of e-mailing and take the stairs. The more active you are, the more of a routine it becomes. We’re creatures of habit, and sitting is flat-out bad for our bodies.