It took more than 40 years for people to realize that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, and other serious illnesses. This lack of understanding destroyed the health of millions of people. In this article we provide a simple plan to overcome what experts believe to be another emerging health risk; sitting too much What are the risks of sitting too much? The problem with sitting too much is simply that it's the opposite of standing, moving, or exercising, which means it uses less energy than being active. When you stop and think about it, sitting represents a huge amount of time in most of our lives. This inactivity is part of many things we do every day, like browsing social media, watching TV, Netflix, playing video games, etc. Not to mention driving your car or sitting at your desk at work. Regular Exercise Isn't the Cure If you're thinking "I exercise regularly every week," according to research, exercise doesn't make up for prolonged periods of sitting. This can be misleading, but if your workouts take 3 hours per week, the reality is that that same week you will spend half of your waking time, or 56 hours sitting down doing the things mentioned above. So while we can exercise regularly, lack of movement between workouts or activity makes it an independent risk factor for heart disease, obesity, blood sugar regulation, certain cancers, and genes that regulate chronic diseases.  The MaxLife Perpetual Motion Plan In her groundbreaking book "Sitting Kills, Moving Cures," Dr. Joan Vernikos asserts that the human body was not designed for sitting. This inspired us to create the MaxLife Perpetual Motion Plan. Is that how it works. Take active breaks The plan calls for taking 1-2 minute active breaks after 30 minutes of sitting. This is consistent with research that people who use this method regularly have lower health risks. For best results, we suggest using a timer to remind you to get up and move every 30 minutes. You can do this on your phone, fitness tracker, or any basic timer. Simple ideas to get you moving during your active breaks Get up and walk Do something standing like bodyweight squats Try standing up to touch your toes or any stretch that involves your hips and lower body. Get up to go to the bathroom or get some water. Use a desk that can be adjusted to multiple levels so you can work standing up Switch from sitting to standing at your desk every 30 minutes to break up your workday Stay active while sitting Now if you must sit, you can add the cushion MaxLiving rocking inflatable on your chair.