Sitting at your desk all day can lead to several illnesses - WXOW News 19 La Crosse, WI – News, Weather and Sports |

Undated (WXOW) - Get moving.  That's what doctors will tell you because many jobs require sitting at our desks, which causes many of us to be sedentary 55-percent of our day.

Doctors say most of our back pain in this country is in our lower back, around lumbar 4, lumbar 5 and S1.  That's where most of the pressure goes when we sit in a chair.

Doctors are also finding that standing can decrease your chances of developing some cancers, diabetes, even obesity.  

Scientists believe that a lipo-protein that converts bad cholesterol into good, diminishes by 95 percent when you sit too long. They say that factor alone, can increase the risk of heart disease by 30 percent.  

So how can you stand more, if you work all day at a desk?  In an office setting, organize a standing meeting or use a timer on your computer that can let you know when to get up and move
Another option is to make it a practice every time the phones rings, to stand up and answer it and take a five minute walk every hour in the office.

If you went from an eight hour a day job of sitting, to a five hour job of sitting, just three hours difference, you can burn off probably a pound a month.