Get up! 6 ways to boost your health by sitting less

Sitting is one of the worst things we can do for our health, recent research suggests.

One new study in The Lancet found that one out of every 10 deaths is caused by people not getting up and engaging in physical activity - death rates similar to those caused by smoking.

The good news is that people can reduce their health risks by getting out of their chair. That's evidenced by a recent study in BMJ Open that found if you cut the amount of time you spent sitting to less than three hours each day, you might boost your lifespan by an extra two years.

Want some help being less sedentary? From our friends at Health.com, here are the best ways to sit less and move more, from easiest to hardest.

Get up! 6 ways to boost your health by sitting less

Pace on the phone

Invest in a two-way speakerphone, super long phone-to-ear cord, or quality headset so you can be more mobile while you chat.

Even if you simply stand while on the phone, you'll naturally shift from leg to leg.

Get up! 6 ways to boost your health by sitting less

Putter after eating

Or take a quick walk post meals. The fat levels in your bloodstream are highest after eating, and simply moving around afterward increases the activity of lipoprotein lipase, which spurs your metabolism.

Get up! 6 ways to boost your health by sitting less

Opt for bar seats at restaurants

diner, stools, bar seat, restaurant, sitting Sit on the front third of the barstool; spread your feet just wider than hip distance, so they're supporting a fair bit of your weight, and gently roll your hips forward, arching your back slightly.

This position is called "perching" - it maintains an S-shape in your spine, and distributes your weight more evenly.

Get up! 6 ways to boost your health by sitting less

Leave the seat at home

Whether you're going to a concert, tailgate, or park, don't bring a chair.

You'll find that if you don't have one, you stand the whole time or naturally move back and forth between your blanket and standing, says Dr. Marc Hamilton, a microbiologist at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

Get up! 6 ways to boost your health by sitting less

Do stuff in person

Instead of emailing or calling a coworker, walk over to her desk. Stand in your colleague's office to discuss things, or suggest taking a walk to chat.

"Within two weeks, you could get addicted to walking and working," says James Levine, an obesity researcher at the Mayo Clinic.

Get up! 6 ways to boost your health by sitting less

Create multiple workstations

Hear us out: They can all be at the same desk. The idea is to allow your body to rotate between different positions throughout the day.

businessman, working, yoga, meditation, outdoors, grass, relax, work, stock, 4x3 Create an area where you can stand while doing work (try putting a box or milk crate covered by fabric on top of your desk, to rest your computer on), a stool to perch on (and a perch-level surface - slipping a few books under your monitor will do), and, if you can, a floor-level seating area, where you'll land to read that oh-so-important memo.

Sitting cross-legged naturally rolls your pelvis forward and maintains the S-curve. Move from one area to the next as you feel like it.