This research is not the first study to investigate the negative impact sitting has on health and how people might offset those risks.

In another study earlier this year, researchers found that people who spend more than 12 hours a day sitting have a 38% increased risk of death if they don’t get at least 22 minutes of exercise each day.

“Sitting affects our heart negatively like activity affects it positively,” he said. “The heavier your heart beats, the better your heart health is, or the stronger your heart is.”

Here’s what you need to know about the consequences of sitting for too long, as well as what you can do to counteract these effects.

How Sitting Impacts Well-Being

When this happens, several physiological processes take place in your body.

“We know also that the physiology of how our body processes sugar is affected [by sitting],” Chastin said. “There also is some evidence that the hormones involved in bone health are affected.”

“Sitting for a prolonged period of time can even result in poor posture, reduced blood circulation, weight gain, and obesity,” he explained.

According to Sagelv, a lot of this has to do with how sitting impacts your metabolism.

“Sitting tells the body that the demand is not high, so it does not need to be that strong. The liver, and the energy systems in the muscles, [also] are shown to ‘slow down’ and [we are not] able to burn all the energy from food that we eat,” he said. “So, [the body] performs poorer in burning energy.”

Sitting for long hours has even been linked to neurological issues.

How Much Time Can You Really Spend Sitting Each Day?

While there is no conclusive evidence on how much time you can spend sitting each day without being negatively impacted, Chastin advises trying to sit for as little as possible.

“With the data we have currently, we estimate that two to three minutes of moderate exercise per hour of sitting is a good balance,” Chastin explained.

He also noted that it really just depends on how much sitting you do each day, and trying to balance that out.

Alternatively, people who only sit for six hours a day might only need five minutes to achieve the same risk reduction.

The key is that the more you sit, the more you need to move to reduce your risk of health issues.

Combatting the Effects of Sitting

To counteract the effects of sitting, the single most important thing you can do is to introduce more movement in your life, Chastin explained.

This can be particularly hard for some people, though, because it also means changing their way of living and working.

“Technology can help with prompts to remind us [to stand or move], but we have seen that the effect tends to fade with time,” Chastin said. “[Instead], take any opportunity to move and have fun; and stay away from screens as much as possible.”

You also can try doing chores or activities around the house, assuming you have a little more time on your hands. Chastin explained that it takes about seven minutes of light activity to have the same effect as one minute of moderate exercise on the human body.

If you are pressed for time, Sagelv suggests doing higher-intensity movements for shorter periods.

“Even some movement is good for your risk of death, meaning, it will help you live longer,” he said.

He also recommends standing during meetings at work, walking while you make phone calls, exercising during lunch, and stretching throughout the day to reduce stiffness.

“The key is to not just reduce sitting time but to also promote a healthy lifestyle through consistent physical activity,” Gallucci said. “Engage in regular aerobic exercise, strength training, and stretching. Be sure to also take short breaks and maintain good posture when you are sitting.”