Lesson 3: Make an effort to take 10,000 steps every day, starting today.

Here’s a crazy fact: You sit more than you sleep . On average, people sit for 9.3 hours a day, while sleeping only for 7.7 . According to Tom Rath, this is what happens when you sit for extended periods of time:

• The nerves in your legs stop working and shut down.
• Your calorie burning rate drops to one calorie per minute.
• The number of enzymes, which break down fat in your body, drops by 90%.
• Your good cholesterol (HDL, H igh-D ensity L ipoprotein) drops by 10% every hour.

Here’s how to avoid all of this: take 10,000 steps every day.

It sounds like a lot, but it really isn’t. 10,000 steps equals roughly 5 miles (or 8 km) a day. According to Tom, walking increases your energy levels by 150%, and since I started paying more attention to it, I feel he’s right. Do this to make sure you hit your 10,000 step goal each day: