The docs: Get your stand-up routine in order

George Carlin had a classic stand-up routine about bad drivers: The car in front of him had its turn signal on for miles and miles. Then he realized that the car’s blinker wasn’t stuck; the driver was simply going around the world to the left!

If you’re someone who’s stuck in one position for long periods of time (86 percent of American workers sit while working) and you’re overweight, you’re at risk for obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dementia and a lousy sex life. You know what you need? A good stand-up routine!

New research from the U.K. found that for overweight women at risk of Type 2 diabetes, simply standing up and moving around a bit every 30 minutes significantly reduces blood glucose levels. Even a little effort to change positions has huge benefits.

You know we want you to do more exercise than that (10,000 steps and jump up and down 30 times daily), but we know how hard it can be to start a new exercise routine. So to take this first step to health: Assign a stand-up routine to office buddies. Sue gets 9:30; you take 10; Fred, 10:30; and so on. Each person shares responsibility for getting colleagues to stand up and move. After doing it for a week, you’ll all be more alert and have more energy. And maybe one of your buddies will become a true health buddy once you all start seeing the benefits you get from this stand-up routine.

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Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare.com.

This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 5:29 PM with the headline "The docs: Get your stand-up routine in order."