This is how much exercise you need if you sit behind a desk all day

This isn't going to come as a surprise to anyone, but people working desk jobs are too sedentary. In fact, 86 percent of the American working population sits down all day while at work. Combining all the hours we work with the amount of time we sit lounging at home and that number can increase beyond 12 hours each day.

But we're not done doing the math yet. Figure in the total amount of sleep we get per night (an average of six to eight hours) and you're looking at a pretty static lifestyle. As Americans, we're in a state of rest for nearly 20 hours per day — give or take.

That's a whole lot of resting, people!

We understand that some jobs require us to be in the office each day and sitting in front of our computers.

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However, finding time to be as active as possible will earn you a solid path to a healthier lifestyle.

Sitting all day can contribute to some significant risk factors like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. No one wants to fall ill because of the all the stressors they encounter while at work. If this sounds like your current lifestyle, there is a way to counteract these future medical conditions — exercise.

But how much is enough? Well, keep reading.

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According to Tech Insider, a massive study was reviewed that researched one million people around the world and scientists concluded that finding at least one hour per day of aerobic exercise reduced the chance of developing life-threatening ailments.

To prevent the harmful elements of sitting all day, it's recommended to take breaks throughout the day to do some physical activity. This might mean waking up 30 minutes earlier for a brisk walk, biking to work, using the lunch hour to run in the park, or cut down on television time in the evening to lift weights. Even getting up and walking for a few minutes each hour will do wonders for your health.

Finding the necessary time for aerobic exercise has also been known to mitigate existing health problems. Luckily, gym professionals have developed easy-to-follow 7-minute exercise routines that require virtually no gym equipment and can fit anyone's schedule if they're willing to attempt the program.

The workout consists of 12 different exercises that you'll do for 30 seconds each, with a rest period of 10 seconds before moving onto the next aerobic movement.

This program is specially designed for those people with crazy schedules who only have small windows available to get their heart rates increased.

Check out the Tech Insider video below for details on why exercise is important — especially if you're sitting all day.