Are you sitting comfortably?

It may surprise you to know that something as simple as standing up stokes the fat burning fire. Common sense tells us that sitting down doesn't burn as many calories as standing or walking, but it turns out there are other reasons why too much "tush time" isn't a good thing.

Scientists have found that when we sit for long periods of time, the enzymes responsible for burning fat actually shut down and the fat is much more readily deposited into fat cells. Not only that, but sitting too much can also lower HDL cholesterol (that's the good stuff) and slow down your metabolism.

This doesn't mean you have to get up and run round the block every 10 minutes (although that may not be a bad idea), it just means that if you are in a sedentary job, standing up for a few minutes every half hour is a really good idea.