Yet another study is pointing to the dangers of spending most of our day sedentary, this time noting that sitting for long periods might increase our risk for cancer.

According to research presented Thursday at the American Institute for Cancer Research's annual research conference, even among people who exercise every day, sitting for long periods of time can increase their indicators of cancer risk, such as body fat levels, insulin resistance, estrogen and other sex hormone levels, and inflammation.

In fact, the researchers conclude that thousands of the cases of breast and colon cancer that are diagnosed every year can be linked to a lack of physical activity.

This is hardly encouraging news for office workers, who often sit on their commute to work and then sit again for more than 75 per cent of their working hours.

But the good news is that related research was also presented at the conference that showed that a brisk daily walk helps to reduce several of these cancer risk factors.

Based on these latest findings, the AICR is urging people to make time for physical activity throughout their day. That means taking a break during every hour of sitting by getting up and doing just 1 to 2 minutes of activity.

These breaks can be as simple as walking to a colleague's office instead of sending an email or going to the kitchen to get a cup of tea, they suggest.

They say that while aiming for 30 minutes of daily exercise a day is great, it may not be enough.

AICR spokesperson Alice Bender, notes that someone who exercises every day for 30 minutes might meet the traditional definition of someone who's physically active. But if that person fails to have any other activity in their day, that 30 minutes represents only three per cent of their waking day.

But by integrating regular activity breaks throughout the day, we can infuse the remaining 97 per cent of our day with activity that might protect against cancers.

That's why the cancer experts suggest we aim to introduce movement breaks throughout our day

Neville Owen, the head of behavioural epidemiology at Australia's Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, presented evidence that suggests that the mere act of sitting for long periods of time is emerging as a strong candidate as a cancer risk factor in its own right – even for people who are regularly physically active and not overweight.

Recent evidence suggests that key indicators of cancer risk are lower when prolonged sitting is interrupted with brief breaks, said Dr. Owen.

"In our studies, we've measured waist circumference, insulin resistance and inflammation – indicators of cancer risk common to many physical activity-cancer studies. We found that even breaks as short as one minute can lower these biomarkers," he said in a statement.

Currently, Dr. Owen and his research team are conducting a study to investigate the link between regular desk breaks and activities that promote standing to cancer risk biomarkers.

The AICR offers these tips for moving more throughout the day:

• Take the stairs whenever possible.
• Set the timer on your computer to remind you every 60 minutes that it's time to take a short walk down the hall
• Instead of sending an email, ask a colleague to join you for a walk to hash it out on the go.
• Keep light hand weights in your office to use while reading email or talking on the phone.
• During all phone calls and phone meetings, stand up and walk around.
• Your office or cubicle wall is all you need for simple activities like stretches, vertical push-ups and leg lifts.
• For a more vigorous activity break, ask your employer to put a punching bag or chin-up bar in your break room.