You've probably heard the phrase "sitting is the new smoking." It's certainly memorable. Maybe that's why it has stuck around for so long.
But I've never loved what that phrase suggests—that sitting itself is somehow the problem. We all sit. We sit to work, drive, eat dinner, read a book, watch a movie, talk with a friend, or finally put our feet up at the end of the day.
So no, I don't think we need to be afraid of sitting. But I do think it's worth paying attention to how much of our day we spend barely moving at all.
We Sit—a Lot
Think about how easily sitting can fill a day. You drive to work, sit at a computer, sit through a meeting, drive home, eat dinner, and eventually sit down to watch something in the evening. Even on a day when you've intentionally gone for a walk or done a movement practice, there can still be some very long stretches when your body hasn't had much opportunity to move.
Often, we don't even notice it happening. We're working, driving, reading, or absorbed in something else until we finally stand up and think, Wow, I've been sitting for a long time.
That's where I think the conversation around sitting becomes much more useful. Instead of asking, "How do I stop sitting so much?" we might ask, "How can I give my body more opportunities to move throughout my day?"
What the Research on Sitting Tells Us
Research has linked spending more time sedentary—especially for long, uninterrupted periods—with poorer health outcomes. But there's an important distinction here: the concern isn't simply that we're sitting. It's how much of our waking day we spend barely moving at all.
The takeaway isn't that sitting is bad or something we need to avoid. It's that our bodies benefit from regular opportunities to move throughout the day.
And when you think about everything our bodies are capable of doing, that makes a lot of sense.
Your Body Likes a Change of Position
We can walk, reach, squat, twist, bend, climb, carry, push, pull, balance, get down to the floor, and stand back up again. Our bodies are capable of an incredible variety of movement, yet modern life can ask us to spend hours doing very little of it.
When you're sitting, your hips and knees stay in roughly the same position. Your legs aren't being asked to support your body weight, your ankles aren't moving through much range, and many of your muscles aren't being asked to do very much. None of that makes sitting bad—it simply means your body hasn't had much variety for a while.
So after you've been sitting, what does your body need?
It may not need a specific stretch or a carefully planned movement break. It may simply need an opportunity to do something different: stand up, walk down the hall, reach overhead, move your hips, rise onto your toes, squat, or take the stairs.
One Hour of Movement Isn't the Whole Picture
This is one of the reasons I talk so much about moving throughout the day. An intentional yoga practice, strength session, walk, bike ride, or other movement you enjoy absolutely matters. Setting aside time to intentionally move and challenge our bodies is important.
But I also don't think we should expect that one period of intentional movement to carry the entire responsibility for the rest of our waking hours. Our bodies are made to move throughout the day, too.
That movement can come from all kinds of places:
- Walking across the parking lot instead of looking for the closest spot
- Carrying groceries into the house
- Taking the stairs
- Standing or walking while you're on the phone
- Getting down on the floor and back up again
- Gardening or working outside
- Playing with the dog
- Getting up and moving between periods of sitting
These things aren't replacements for building strength, practicing balance, challenging your cardiovascular system, or intentionally working on mobility. They're another part of the picture.
It all counts.
You've Been Sitting for Two Hours. Now What?
This is where I think we can make the whole conversation much simpler. Instead of realizing you've been sitting for two hours and immediately thinking, I should exercise, start by noticing what your body has—and hasn't—been doing.
Have your hips barely changed position? Your legs haven't had to support you? Has your spine been relatively still? Have you been staring at a screen and concentrating for the past two hours?
Then consider what might support you right now. Maybe that's walking around for a few minutes. Maybe it's a few slow squats or sit-to-stands. Maybe you want to reach, twist, move your hips, or step outside and let your eyes look farther into the distance.
You don't need to analyze every sensation or choose the perfect movement. Notice what you've been doing, and give your body an opportunity to do something different.
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