I have my semi-annual physical coming up next week. I’m probably not the only one who — when it’s time to see the doctor — makes sure he or she is doing everything they need to do to get great test results. It’s kind of like cramming for finals in a weird way. So, to that end, I’m reading a lot of information about what I need to do to be healthy. I mean, it’s something that would be wise to do whether or not I’m visiting my healthcare provider, but what can I say? At least I do it twice a year, right? Anyway, leading a relatively sedentary lifestyle, I was reminded of the dangers of spending too much time on my tushie (Yiddish word for “butt”).

I hope you’re sitting down when you read this; it’s quite alarming. Hmmm, actually, I hope you’re not.

Most of us have sedentary lifestyles. In many cases, rocks move more than us. I say this neither to induce shame nor guilt, but because — well, that’s just the way it is. Unless you’re an athlete or you have a job that’s got you on your feet all day long, a relatively recent report showed that the average American spends about 7.7 hours per day plopped on an ever-expanding backside. An Australian study says, “The average adult spends 50 to 70 percent of their time sitting;” a majority of his or her life.

It’s not difficult to get there. Consider an office job, relaxing in front of the TV, sitting at the dinner table, reading a book, driving to work, streaming movies, playing video games — the list goes on. I mean, if we used our feet half as much as we used our behinds, we’d have shapely legs and firm butts, which sure as heck wouldn’t be a bad thing.

With the exception of walking my dog, conducting meetings or helping to moderate a weekly service, I spend most of my day in front of a computer screen. For goodness sake, I’m doing it right now writing this piece (although I do have a standing desk so I’d like a couple of brownie points for that, please). You might not be a computer jockey like me, but I bet your life is similar.

What’s alarming is that research is showing that type of lifestyle can be as unhealthy as smoking.

Want to know the details? (Actually, you don’t, but I’m going to tell you anyway.) The first thing that happens from sitting is that electrical activity in our legs shuts down and the caloric burn rate plummets to about one per minute. (Putting that in perspective, someone weighing 160 pounds, and taking a leisurely stroll, will burn three to five times that much.) Of course, this much inactivity increases the odds of weight gain.

Within two weeks of extended sitting, we observe significant upticks in triglycerides and “bad cholesterol” (LDL). Adding insult to injury, insulin effectiveness decreases, upping the odds of type 2 diabetes. After a year, the average woman starts losing about 1 percent of her bone mass annually, increasing the likelihood of fractures and breaks. Surprisingly to me was that, after about a decade, the odds of breast or prostate cancer climbed by almost one-third. From sitting? Really?

According to the same study, every single hour of television watched after the age of 25 reduces life expectancy by 21.8 minutes. (By comparison, according to the authors, a cigarette reduces life expectancy by 11 minutes.)

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those folks with a bumper sticker proclaiming, “Kill your TV.” I loved my “Ted Lasso” as much as anyone. Besides, reading my favorite sci-fi yard while dumped on the couch has the same effect physically as staring at the flat screen. It’s the lack of movement causing the problem.

The good news is that it doesn’t take a lot to minimize these dangers. We don’t need to run marathons or jog in place during family dinners. Standing — just being vertical — for only five minutes an hour really helps, which, when you think about it, isn’t difficult.

When the phone rings, get up. During commercials, rise. Set a timer on your computer to go off every hour, and during that time, walk around the office. There are countless small steps (pun intended) that we can do to be healthier, without having to totally rearrange our lives.

But the first thing is to take a stand for better health.

Scott “Q” Marcus, RScP, is a life coach and Religious Science Practitioner, as well as a professional speaker and the founder of the inspirational Facebook Group, Intentions Affirmations Manifestations. Stay in touch by signing up for his newsletter at www.ThisTimeIMeanIt.com/signup.