Between driving, watching TV, and working at desks, Americans spend half their waking hours sitting down. The problem with this is that our bodies are designed to move, and when we spend so much time sitting our health suffers in many ways.

Sitting causes the central nervous system to slow down, which can lead to fatigue. One study suggested that fatigue could be reduced by up to 65% within 6 weeks by adding low intensity exercise like walking three times a week. Sitting can also weaken the muscles that support posture and are used to walk. This can stiffen joints, and lead to hunched posture and increase the risk for back and joint pain. Sitting for a few hours can cause enzymes in your body that break down fats in your bloodstream to start switching off. Prolonged sitting can cut their activity by up to 50%.

It’s no secret that the biggest traps at home are the TV and computer, so a little careful planning can add some activity to those non-active pastimes. Try placing exercise equipment like a treadmill or stationary bike near your TV and use it for at least a half hour a day. Some people choose to put their computers on an elevated shelf or stand so that they can stand while using it. Video games are just as sedentary activity as watching TV in most cases, but there are options like some of the games on the Nintendo Wii that allow you to mimic motions in sports such as tennis or baseball.  While certainly not a replacement for a workout, but still much better than the alternative.

At the office, try standing up when you answer the phone, or scheduling “walking meetings” when there aren’t a lot of notes to be taken. Another good practice is the 10 minute rule, which is to get up and stretch or walk around for 10 minutes out of every hour. Try parking your car farther away from the office, and take the stairs instead of the elevator when/if you can.

• Magnesium

Magnesium deficiencies can lead to numerous health conditions, but did you know that high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension, was one of them? Magnesium helps balance calcium in your system by dilating the muscles in arteries that calcium causes to contract. If magnesium levels are too low, the muscles in the artery walls stay constricted and cause more pressure on the blood flowing through them. Not many foods other than fish are very high in magnesium, so a supplement or fish oil capsules are a good alternative to help keep balance as well as provide other helpful nutrients like vitamin d and omega 3 fatty acids.

• Potassium

The body’s cells need a balance of minerals like calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium in order to function. Most people ingest more sodium through salt and carbonated drinks than they do potassium, and this can cause an imbalance between the two. When sodium levels are too high, the kidneys may struggle to dispose of it, and in some cases vascular systems near them will close off in order to raise blood pressure, which will in turn push the kidneys to dump the excess waste products your body doesn’t need or want. Potassium supplements are available to help keep balance, but you can also get plenty from fruits and green vegetables, and even some fish like tuna or halibut.

• Garlic

Garlic contains an organic compound called allicin, which has been shown to affect lipids in the bloodstream. This can reduce cholesterol, and its damaging effects to the walls of your blood vessels. Supplements are available if you’re concerned about odor issues from whole garlic, although you get the maximum benefits of it when taken whole. Two to three cloves per day are recommended for treating hypertension.

• Fats

Everyone knows how bad saturated and trans fats are, but are you aware of the positive benefits of those good fats that exist? Polyunsaturated fats can help improve the levels of the good forms of cholesterol in your system, and also help keep blood pressure down. These are found mostly in plants like corn, soy, safflower and sunflower, whereas unhealthy saturated fats are mostly found in meats and dairy products.