So much sitting, looking at screens. Can we combat our sedentary lives? | Body Electric
Oct 3, 2023
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Exploring the impact of technology on our bodies, the podcast discusses the historical relationship between economic eras and the human body. It highlights the negative effects of excessive screen time and sedentary behavior, suggesting movement breaks as a solution. The podcast also emphasizes the need for a culture change to combat sedentary lifestyles and encourages listener participation in an experiment.
Our bodies have adapted to different types of labor throughout history, but modern technology and sedentary work have removed movement from our daily lives, leading to health issues.
Taking five-minute movement breaks every half hour can significantly reduce health risks associated with prolonged sitting, improve mood, and increase energy levels.
Deep dives
The Science of Making Work Not Suck
In this podcast episode, Adam Grant explores the science of making work not suck. He discusses the need to rethink our jobs and addresses issues such as fixing meetings, busting bureaucracy, and maximizing breaks and vacations to enhance our work experience. Grant emphasizes the importance of finding ways to maintain our energy amidst the draining effects of technology and sedentary work. He highlights the negative impact of prolonged sitting and offers a solution - incorporating movement breaks every half hour. By doing so, research shows decreased blood sugar spikes, lower blood pressure, improved mood, and increased productivity.
The Impact of Tools on Human Anatomy
This episode delves into the impact of tools and technology on human anatomy throughout history. From the Paleolithic era of foraging and hunting to the agricultural revolution and the industrial age, our bodies have adapted to different types of labor. With the rise of efficiency and sedentary work, coupled with dangerous factory conditions, our bodies have undergone significant changes. The advent of modern technology and screens has further removed movement from our daily lives, leading to various health issues. This episode highlights the need to understand how technology has shaped our bodies and the importance of incorporating movement back into our routines.
Taking Action to Offset the Harms of Sitting
Keith Diaz, an associate professor of behavioral medicine, shares his groundbreaking research on countering the negative effects of sitting. His study reveals that taking five-minute movement breaks every half hour can significantly reduce blood sugar spikes, lower blood pressure, improve mood, and increase energy levels. This episode discusses how even regular exercise in the morning does not offset the harms of prolonged sitting throughout the day. Diaz's research offers practical guidance on incorporating movement breaks into sedentary work and emphasizes the need for a culture shift to prioritize movement and overall well-being.
This is an episode of Body Electric a series airing over at the TED Radio Hour. In this special series, host Manoush Zomorodi investigates the relationship between our technology and our bodies and asks: How are we physically adapting to meet the demands of the Information Age? Why do so many of us feel utterly drained after a day spent attached to our devices?
Part one kicks off with an exploration into how economic eras have shaped the human body in the past with author Vybarr Cregan-Reid. Then, Columbia University researcher and exercise physiologist Keith Diaz and Manoush discuss his findings and propose a challenge to listeners: Let's see if we can end this cycle of type, tap, collapse together.