Sitting all day is terrible for us. Moving a little can help

Modern life involves a lot of sitting and staring at screens, and that takes a toll. Can moving for 5 minutes make a difference?

Keeping your butt in a seat for hours a day increases the risk of heart attacks, diabetes, psychiatric conditions, and more. But in our tech-filled world, many of us lead sedentary lives, whether because of school, work, or leisure. Researchers set up an experiment to see how much movement would make a difference for people who spend their days at a desk—and 23,000 people signed up.

Joining Flora to tell us what they found is tech journalist Manoush Zomorodi, author of “Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being.”

Read an excerpt of “Body Electric.”

Guest: 

Manoush Zomorodi is host of NPR’s TED Radio Hour and author of “Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being.”

Other episodes you may enjoy:

• 8.5 Hours Of Daily Sitting Linked To Higher BMI And Cholesterol
• How Is Screen Time Affecting My Kid?

The transcript for this episode is available at sciencefriday.com.

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