Part 1 of TED Radio Hour's "Tracking what your body needs"
Too much sitting can take a serious toll on your health. Exercise scientist Keith Diaz says the antidote is surprisingly simple: 5-minute movement breaks woven throughout your daily routine.
About Keith Diaz
Keith Diaz is an exercise physiologist and associate professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. His research was featured in NPR's podcast series Body Electric, and he authored the foreword to Manoush Zomorodi's book, Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Wellbeing. His research focuses on how sedentary behavior contributes to cardiovascular disease, and he has developed simple, effective guidelines to help people sit less and move more. His work on sedentary behavior has been featured in multiple publications, and he is an an expert in physical activity monitoring through wearable tech.
Web Resources
Related TED Talk: The brain-changing benefits of exercise
Related TED Talk: Do you really need to take 10,000 steps a day?
Related NPR Links
Body Electric: 5 minute walk & talk: Physiologist Keith Diaz hates timers and doesn't count steps
Body Electric: So much sitting, looking at screens. Can we combat our sedentary lives?
TED Radio Hour: Do your brain a favor — move your body
Copyright 2026 NPR