Recent studies show too much sitting could shorten your lifespan.

USA Today reports that several studies show when people lounge around the muscles go silent, essentially putting your body into idle. And an idle body is very hard on the heart.

A recent report by the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study says people who sat and watched four hours of television a day were 80 percent more likely to die of heart disease than those who watched less than two hours.

Another study shows the more people sit, for any reason, the more likely they are to die of heart disease within 12 years -- even if they're thin and exercise regularly.

Dr. David Dunstan, the Australian study's lead author, said, "The message here is that in addition to promoting regular exercise, we also need to promote avoiding long periods of sitting, such as spending long hours in front of the computer screen."