Having comfortable office chairs is a real pleasure in life. For many of us, in this decidedly digital era much of our lives can be spent starring at a computer screen and occasionally taking a short walk to our car or across the office. It will probably not come as too much of a shock that this isn’t exactly good for your health. As it turns out, all of that sitting at your desk chair in fact may be shortening your life.

As depressing as it may be, numerous medical studies are showing that the amount of sitting that many of us are doing on a day-to-day basis is really bad for our health. Not getting enough exercise means not burning off enough calories and that means gaining weight. We all know that too much extra weight increases our chances of an early death.

If you have an office job, it is tough to make sure that you do not spend too much time at your desk, but there are little things that you can do to minimize the effects. Stand up frequently, as medical studies have shown that there is a correlation between the amounts of time that one spends in a seated position and lifespan. It may be a difficult fact to swallow, but sitting for prolonged periods of time in an office chair is quite literally lethal.

Walk around as much as you can during the day as well. This may also mean that you spend extra time taking a walk. Walking is often ignored as a healthy activity, but it has a great deal going for it. Few exercises are low-impact yet still have solid cardiovascular benefits, and walking is one of those exercises. Further, walking helps build bone and keep muscles fit, especially if you walk fast. The bottom line is that you may have to incorporate a good long walk into your daily routine to make up for all that time spent seated throughout the workday.

Remember that exercising can help you live longer. That stated, your number one goal should be to avoid injury. After all, if you are injured you cannot workout at all. Sitting too long is bad for you, but if you analyze your daily routine, you may be able to find ways to stand more and walk more frequently. As long as the perception of your job performance is not impacted, go for it and get out of that office chair… no matter how comfy it may be.