You May Actually Be Able to Avoid Death by Sitting, Science Says — Here’s How

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By now, you guys are probably aware that sitting behind a desk all day is basically killing you. We’ve only told you, like, a billion times (here and here, for a just a few examples). But a new study shows that you might actually be able to counteract the negative effects of spending eight hours glued to your desk chair, The New York Times reports.

Researchers at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City observed activity levels of over 3,000 healthy adults, most of whom spent most of their time sitting. The researchers then analyzed how much time the participants spent sitting, engaged in low-intensity activity (standing, for example), doing light-intensity activities (strolling around the room, for instance), and doing moderate to intense activities like jogging. Then, they checked the death records three to four years after the survey to see how many participants had died during that time, in order to see which type of activity — standing, walking or jogging — upped life expectancy the most.

And good news, people: They found that those who did just two minutes of light walking each hour were 33 percent less likely to die a premature death than those who sat non-stop. People who jogged or leapt around for short bouts in-between hours of sitting were even better off, but the number of people who actually did that was so small that determining a statistic was impossible.

So, that said, keep an eye on the clock throughout the day! Each hour, get up and do some walking — and grab a co-worker or a friend. You just might  start an office-wide movement for a healthier lifestyle. And it only takes two minutes!

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