Exercising is an excellent way to boost health and prevent disease but staying active throughout the day is even more important. Sitting at the computer or spending too much time watching TV can be actively harmful to your health, researches have concluded. A recent study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, followed more than 3,900 men and women over 12.5 years. They found an active life, even without regular exercise, to be linked to smaller waists and healthier hearts. Participants in the study who had reported high levels of non-exercise activity were less likely to suffer a heart attack and die than those who were inactive. "Engaging in regular exercise is still important,” lead author Elin Ekblom-Bak, of the Åstrand Laboratory of Work Physiology at the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences in Stockholm, told Reuters. "We saw that those who exercised regularly and that also had a daily physically active life had the lowest risk profile of all.”Recent reports from the National Cancer Institute show that fewer than five per cent of adults get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day.According to the World Health Organisation, "physical inactivity is estimated to be the main cause for approximately 21 to 25 per cent of breast and colon cancers, 27 per cent of diabetes and approximately 30 per cent of Ischaemic heart disease burden."The term ‘physical activity’ should not be mistaken with ‘exercise’. Exercise is a subcategory of physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive ... Physical activity includes exercise as well as other activities which involve bodily movement and are done as part of playing, working, active transportation, house chores and recreational activities.”Physical inactivity directly equates to six per cent of annual deaths and that is statistically equivalent to the deaths caused by diabetes and nearly the amount of deaths associated with tobacco use. Escalating statistics highlight physical inactivity as the fourth leading risk factor for premature death."The link between physical inactivity and cardiovascular disease is profound,” said Dr Kingsley K. Akinroye, Vice President Elect World Heart Federation., "Escalating levels of sitting and non-exercise behaviours are leading to the increase in the prevalence of high blood pressure – a leading risk factor in heart attack and stroke.”Even more alarming, we are seeing high levels of physical inactivity in our youth and adolescents – an important indicator in weight gain, the development of type 2 diabetes and premature cardiovascular diseases.Becoming more active can lower your blood pressure by as much as 4 to 9 mm Hg. That’s the same reduction in blood pressure delivered by some blood pressure medications. Physical activity can also increase levels of good cholesterol.Physical activity and exercise is needed for all – regardless of weight, health condition or age – to achieve optimal health and fight off disease. For each hour of regular exercise you get, you’ll gain about two hours of additional life expectancy.The writer is an international health columnist that works in collaboration with the World Health Organisation’s goals of disease prevention and control.Facebook: Dr Cory CouillardTwitter: DrCoryCouillard