The average American spends about 8 hours sitting: working, reading, typing, computing, driving and etc. That’s a lot of time spent on the derriere and it’s not healthy. Even if you exercise everyday, hours of sitting can cut years off your life. A recent article published in BMJ Open reported that sitting for more than 3 hours a day can shave two years off your life. Watching TV for more than 2 hours a day (the typical American watches more than 3), can pare another 1.4 years.

It makes sense. We were not designed to be sedentary. So as you read these sentences, stand up. Next time the phone rings, pace while you talk. Consider a standing desk and arranging walking meetings. You’ll add time to your life and you’ll probably feel a lot peppier too.

I do. (Unless they are promised to be no more than 30 minutes, or delicious snacks will be served.)

So does Dave Barry who wrote, “If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be ‘meetings.’”

If you regularly schedule meetings, consider these efficiency strategies from Get More Done Time Study Consulting. (If you are a schedulee rather than a scheduler, share the Get More Done link with your boss.)

*Write an agenda and distribute it before the get together. The agenda should list the purpose of the meeting and the items to be discussed; the list of items should be specific and focused. Include a hard stop, too. End times can bring a needed sense of urgency to all involved.

*Start meetings on the half hour.  Research indicates that meetings are more likely to start on time when they are scheduled on the half hour, rather than on the hour.

*Schedule meetings in afternoon. Time studies show that meetings are shorter later in the day. As quitting time approaches, business tends to become more efficient.

I do. Especially for doctors. Generally I stop going to doctors that keep me waiting. Rude! But sometimes a doctor is so amazing, that I will endure long waits.

If you hate to wait too, read my column in the Science Times: The Doctor Will See You … Eventually.

Do you ever wonder if you might have ADHD? (I certainly have my moments.) Or do you suspect that someone you know might have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? About 5 percent of adults are believed to have this disorder, which is marked by impulsiveness, inattention, and poor self-regulation. Children with the condition tend to be hyperactive, but adults who have it often just seem distracted and disorganized. Only about 10 percent of adults with the disorder have been diagnosed.

If you’re curious about the disorder and how to get diagnosed, read my story Watching for Speed Bumps on the Way to an ADHD Diagnosis, in the New York Times.