Are you sitting?

Then stand, and take a

walk. It’s better for you.

We sit more than ever, and the habit starts young.

A national study found computer use has contributed to a more sedentary lifestyle over 20 years.

The average sitting time for older adults as well as the young increased an hour a day from 2007 to 2016, according to the study published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Average sitting hours a day rose from 7.0 to 8.2 for adolescents and 5.5 to 6.4 among adults.

The percentage of us who spend at least 2 hours a day sitting to watch television changed little, but those who spend at least an hour a day on a computer outside school or work rose sharply.

10 years of research links excess sedentary behavior to increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, cancer and even early death.

Too much sitting and not enough physical activity can be a risk factor for anxiety, heart disease, migraines, breast and colon cancer, depression and diabetes.

Because the research was a self-reported survey, researchers suspect spending hours a day glued to a seat is an underestimate.

Most of us aren’t aware of how much time we sit.

TV and computer time varies. Men spend more time sitting than women. Black Americans spend more time sitting than other racial groups. The obese sit more than others.

What can you do?

• Park at the farthest parking spot.

•Take the stairs.

• Walk or bike to work or to the store.

• At the grocery, walk the entire store.

• Take short walk breaks through the day and use a timer to sit less than an hour between breaks.

• Work in your yard.

• Play with your kids.

• Dance to your favorite music to unwind at the end of a busy day.

• Choose activities. Instead of watching a movie, play tennis, golf or go bowling with friends. If golfing, skip the cart and walk.

• Take active vacations. Pick trips that involve walking, hiking, swimming and other activities. Try skiing and white water rafting.