Scientists estimate that most people over the age of 12 spend the majority of their time—at least 8 to 10 hours a day—sitting down. All of this sitting is taking a serious toll on our mental and physical health. As Tom Rath, author of Eat, Move, Sleep, writes:

Every hour you spend on your rear end — in a car, watching television, attending a meeting, or at your computer — saps your energy and ruins your health. Sitting also makes you fat.

A number of conditions are caused or worsened by a sedentary lifestyle including depression, hypertension, angina, obesity, ADHD, anxiety, diabetes among others. Scientists believe prolonged sitting may even increase the risk of cancer.

The bad news is that going to the gym for an hour each day is not enough to offset the serious health consequences of chronic inactivity.  In an NIH funded study that followed 240,000 adults over a decade, even the adults who exercised vigorously, seven or more hours per week, had an increased risk of death if they sat for long periods of the day.

Build Activity Into Your Day

Part of the problem is that we tend to think of exercise as something outside of our daily lives rather than something that is built into our day. The good news is that this is just a mindset and simple to fix.

1. Stand up at least once an hour

Whether watching TV or sitting at your desk, stand up, stretch your legs and move around.

2. Seek out opportunities to move

Schedule walking meetings instead of office meetings. Take the stairs. Pick up lunch instead of ordering in.  Get off the subway a stop early and walk the rest of the way. Park the car at the far end of the parking lot. Visit a museum. Get a dog.

3. Monitor yourself:

Tracking your activity with a pedometer or Jawbone will keep you motivated.

As recent studies show, daily “non-exercise” activities like mowing the lawn, doing housework, gardening and even mushroom gathering have a positive effect.  Sneakers and spandex aren’t required to reap the mental and physical benefits of staying active in fun and creative ways.

Harvard Professor Ellen Langer’s research reveals a surprising way to burn calories: be aware of and believe in the health benefits of the activity you engage in.

Langer and her team told 80 housekeepers at various hotels in the Boston area that their work, cleaning rooms, was good for their health. The housekeeping staff at the other hotels were not provided with the same information. Each group engaged in the same amount of physical activity at work as they always did – an average of 8 hours of cleaning per day. After one month, without making any changes in their lifestyle, the women who were informed of the health benefits of their work lost an average of two pounds, while the uninformed women didn’t lose weight

Athletes are well aware of the difference a mindset makes. When you’re head isn’t in the game, performance suffers.

Even non-athletes should pay attention. Langer is confident that by,

putting your mind in an exercise place, your body will follow.

When you go to the gym, don’t just go through the motions.  By being in the right mindset, you engage your body in a different way.  Truly believing that your actions have health benefits is the key.

So, is thinking you’re getting a workout while you sit at your computer going to burn calories? It’s certainly worth a try.

“You should speak to an expert.” This is the standard advice we dole out whenever anyone has a problem or a question. But is expertise all that it is cracked up to be?

A recent article entitled, Are Good Doctors Bad For Your Health? may make you think twice. According to a study, patients in cardiac arrest did BETTER when the senior cardiologists were out of town.

Related research shows how arrogant CEOs can put companies at risk. Apparently, 94 percent of college professors think they do “above average” work which is impossible, statistically speaking.

Along similar lines, 60% of college freshmen rate themselves as “above average” in intellectual skills. In comparison, in 1966, under a third surveyed considered themselves to be above average intellectually. A number already think of themselves as “experts” though it is unclear what their expertise is in.

The common thread is overconfidence. As the lead researcher commented:

It’s not just confidence. It’s overconfidence.

When people are overconfident, they lose touch. They dismiss other perspectives and don’t question their beliefs. According to research, people who are even temporarily given the feeling that they are experts become more rigid and close-minded. Scientists call this the “earned dogmatism effect.” It occurs when people feel superior and believe they have earned the right to close their ears and eyes to another point of view.

Beware of know-it-alls and make sure you don’t become one:

1. Say “I don’t know” when you don’t know.

2. Stay in learning mode.

3. Listen.

4. Ask questions.

5. Question your questions to make sure you aren’t just confirming what you already believe.

The world was my oyster but I used the wrong fork.

Oscar Wilde’s amusing observation highlights the negative impact of bad manners. We all know bad manners are toxic. New research now shows that bad manners can kill. In the study, when doctors spoke rudely to their staff, both accuracy and performance suffered. The medical teams exposed to bad behavior and nasty comments demonstrated poorer diagnostic and procedural performance than those who were not exposed to incivility. As the lead researchers commented:

Relatively benign forms of incivility among medical staff members — simple rudeness — have robust implications on medical team collaboration processes and thus on their performance as a team.

Rudeness undermines people’s ability to think clearly and make good decisions. It steals confidence and weakens motivation.

I vividly remember working with a senior physician who always barked at the team. We all hated working with her and she certainly did not inspire hard work or optimal performance. Her harsh words and non-stop criticism made us lazy and passive aggressive. While I don’t think our behavior killed anyone, we definitely were not at our best when working with her.

Next time you are looking for a doctor, pay attention to his or her manners. It may be the difference between life and death.