Avoid sitting all day at work

Most of us sit all day at work. Add in the time you spend sitting on your commute, as well as any leisure time at home, and you can easily waste over 13 hours a day sitting down.

A recent study by Australia's Sax Institute found that people who reported sitting for at least 11 hours a day had a 40 percent higher risk of dying within the next three years than people who sat for four hours a day.

Previous studies also suggest that a sedentary lifestyle can be linked to heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. The condition of prolonged sitting and its effects on the human body, physiologically and metabolically, has become known as the “sitting disease.”

Dr. Alice Chen, a physiatrist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, told FoxNews.com. “Beyond the cardiovascular implications, the sedentary lifestyle predisposes patients to neck and back pain due to atrophy or underdevelopment of the abdominal and gluteal muscles”.

To counteract this habitual sitting, doctors suggest taking steps to become more physically active– even at work. “I encourage my patients to get out of their chairs once an hour. Get up to ask a question to a colleague. Get up to go to the water cooler and take the stairs when it’s reasonable,” Chen said.

TechnoGym, an international fitness company, recently introduced a new stability ballchair– the Wellness Ball. The bottom half of the ball is heavier than the top half to give you better comfort.

Unlike a hard seat, sitting on the training ball provides you with just enough instability to force your legs and arms to engage so you don’t wobble while you sit.

“This is one of the best tools I’ve come across that helps to engage involuntary muscles, which in return can help you sit up straight and keep your posture,” Josh Holland, a celebrity trainer, told FoxNews.com.

The Wellness Ball comes with a QR code to scan on your smartphone or tablet to access specially designed exercise videos to do on the ball.

Try these moves from Holland at the gym, or even at your desk on a stability ball.

Hip rotations- Sit on top of the ball without moving your head, shoulders or neck and rotate the ball in a circular fashion with your hips and butt. Then move them in a counterclockwise fashion. You should feel everything working, your abs, your oblique and your lower back.

The squeeze- You may not be moving in this exercise, but you’re actively contracting and squeezing all your muscles. Plant your feet onto the ground and work your way up by squeezing the caves, the quads, hamstrings, glutes and abs. Squeeze everything and see how long you can hold it for.

Leg extensions- Plant your feet firmly on the ground, shift one of your legs to the mid-line of your body and then extend the opposite foot straight out underneath the desk and hold it up for a few seconds. Continue doing reps by returning the extended leg back to start and lifting the other leg up.

Squat- Standing, hold the ball in front of you with your arms extended out. Squeeze the ball— the ball weighs 4-5 pounds, so as soon as you squeeze you should feel your chest and arms engage. Keep your core tight and squat down. Sit your butt back, knees wide and keep your arms straight out. Squeeze your butt and stand up. Do this move about 5-10 times.

Plank- Modify a traditional plank pose by putting your hands or forearms on the ball. Make sure your weight is pressed straight down over the ball and keep your feet slightly separated to create a stable base. Keep your hips up, your abs tight and hold for 10 seconds.

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