“Walking is a superfood. It’s the defining movement of a human,” said Katy Bowman, a biomechanist

“Actively sedentary is a new category of people who are fit for one hour but sitting around the rest of the day," Bowman said. “You can’t offset 10 hours of stillness with one hour of exercise.”

Median total sitting time was recorded in 218 marathon style athletes. Their average was eight to 10.75 hours per day, suggesting that recreational distance runners are simultaneously highly sedentary and highly active.

Dr. Carol Ewing Garber, president of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), notes that fitness-walking guidelines of 10,000 steps per day may be too much for many.

“About 7,500 steps may be more accurate,” she said, adding that current ACSM recommendations call for at least 150 minutes of activity each week.

Make it a habit to get up and walk around each hour you’re awake. Consider it time well invested.