During the COVID-19 pandemic, the already largely sedentary U.S. population moved even less. In the United States, daily steps plunged 15 percent within 15 days of the pandemic declaration, according to researchers at the University of California–San Francisco, and the situation didn’t improve. With more people working from home, the tendency to sit at a computer…

I am sure you’ve been told you should stand up and move away from your work stations or use a standing desk where possible. One of the major benefits of doing this is to activate and stretch the hip flexor area. But what are the hip flexors, and why are they so important – and…

Sedentary behavior may impact people’s life expectancy in negative ways. Many studies have found that sedentary behavior increases the incidence of fatal diseases. In addition to reducing sitting time, there are six movements to stretch the stiff body, strengthen muscle strength, and reduce the damage done by sedentary behavior. Sedentary behavior increases the risk of…

New figures show that global diabetes prevalence has increased by 16 percent in the past two years, with 537 million adults (aged 20–79) now estimated to be living with the chronic condition. Over this same time period, COVID-19 has stopped us from doing some of the things that help prevent and manage diabetes. One of the ways…

Almost everyone has heard the saying “sitting is the new smoking,” but a new study shows it has an impact on depression and anxiety as well. With so many people self-isolating during the early months of the COVID-19 outbreak, more people found themselves sitting for longer periods than ever before. Zoom meetings erased time spent…

Sitting around is a known risk factor for disease and disability. Yet, when older adults start to lose independence—becoming less functional physically or showing signs of cognitive impairment—they move into residences that may allow them to sit for 85 percent of their waking hours. As the baby boomer population ages, older people are starting to…

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a number of new behaviors into daily routines such as physical distancing, mask-wearing, and hand sanitizing. Meanwhile, many old behaviors—attending events, eating out, and seeing friends—have been put on hold. However, one old behavior that has persisted, and has arguably been amplified due to COVID-19, is sitting—and it isn’t surprising to…