Happy May! May 1st is National Get Fit Don't Sit Day™. Every year in May, the American Diabetes Association brings awareness to health risks of excessive sitting and highlights how important it is to stay moving throughout the day.

Sitting for long periods of time increases your risk of chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. It’s recommended to get up and move for one to three minutes for every 30 minutes you’ve been sedentary.

The good news is that it doesn’t take too much work to break up our sitting time, sometimes we just need the reminder to get up and move! Here are 5 easy ways to increase your movement during the day.

Have an exercise "snack"

If you can’t make it to the gym, you can always fit in a few minutes of exercise to get some benefit. Anything that gets your heart rate up for around four minutes counts as a “snack.” Try 5 minutes of stairs, taking a short brisk walk, or some chair exercises.

Change up your office routine

Sometimes it feels like you sit all day at work. Reduce your sit time by getting a standing desk and see if you can turn some of those meetings into walking or standing meetings instead of sitting in a conference room. If your office has more than one bathroom, head for one that is a bit farther away from your desk.

Time for a (commercial) break

When watching TV, use commercial breaks as a cue to get up and move around. It’s a chance to fit in some bodyweight exercises or a super quick yoga flow.

Quality active time

Spend a few minutes being active with your kids, even a few minutes dancing or running around with them will get the heart pumping! No kids? Your dog would probably appreciate a quick walk or you can get up and play with your cat using a fun feather wand.

Chores count

Two benefits for one action! If you’re sitting at home, get up and spend a few minutes vacuuming or sweeping, taking out the trash, mowing the lawn, or weeding the garden. It all counts, and it all adds up!