The Real Truth About Sitting and Moving
Spoiler alert: Your couch isn’t actually trying to kill you.
Hey there! As a sports therapist, I can’t tell you how many times clients walk into my office looking like they’ve committed a crime against humanity. Their confession?
“I sit at a desk all day.”
The guilt is real, and honestly, it breaks my heart.
We’ve all heard it: “Sitting is the new smoking!”
Cue the panic every time you settle in for a Netflix binge or have to tackle that work project from your desk.
But what if I told you this whole narrative is kinda… wrong?
I Just Dove Deep into “Exercised” by Daniel Lieberman
Let me tell you – it’s a total game-changer. This guy studies human evolution and basically just gave us all permission to chill out (while still taking care of our bodies, obviously).
Plot Twist: Your Chair Isn’t the Villain
Here’s the thing that blew my mind – Lieberman says comparing sitting to smoking is like comparing apples to… well, cigarettes. They’re completely different!
Smoking = bad, no matter what.
Sitting = something our ancestors did too – around fires, while making tools, socializing…
The difference?
They also had to chase down dinner, walk for water, and move constantly just to survive.
So it’s not that sitting is evil – it’s that we sit ALL the time and barely move.
Like eating only ice cream – not poison, but all day, every day? Not great.
The Magic Number That’ll Make You Feel Better
Ready for good news?
You don’t need to become a fitness influencer or quit your desk job to be healthy.
Researchers found that people who moved for 100 seconds every 30 minutes had:
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Better blood sugar
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Less bad cholesterol
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Lower fat levels
That’s it – under 2 minutes!
Do literally anything:
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Walk for water
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Stretch
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Dance to one song
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Pet your dog
Your body just wants to know you’re still alive and kicking.
Your Workspace Doesn’t Need a Complete Makeover
People always ask me, “What’s the perfect chair?”
Here’s the secret: There isn’t one.
It’s like asking the best position to sleep in for 8 hours straight – it doesn’t exist, because you should be moving.
Here are some fun options to shake things up:
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The Bouncy Option: Exercise ball chair (warning: may look too fun at work)
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The Standing Switcher: Adjustable desk (cue coworker envy)
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The Zen Choice: Kneeling chair (very “I’m-too-cool-for-regular-chairs” vibes)
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The Classic: A good adjustable chair you can fidget in
But honestly?
The best chair is the one you don’t stay glued to all day.
Walking: Your Superpower You Forgot You Had
Our ancestors walked about 6–9 miles a day.
Not because they trained – but because life required it.
They walked the equivalent of New York to LA every year!
Now, no panic – you don’t need to do that.
But walking is what we’re designed for.
It’s our factory setting.
So:
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Park a bit farther away
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Take the stairs sometimes
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Try walking meetings
The Secret Sauce: Making Movement Feel Good
Lieberman’s golden rule:
“Make exercise necessary and fun.”
Not punishment. Not guilt. Fun.
Here’s how to trick your brain:
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Make it social – Grab a friend. Everything’s better with company (even squats).
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Make it entertaining – Music, podcasts, audiobooks – walk = story time.
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Make it pretty – Exercise outdoors. Nature is like Instagram filters for your mood.
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Make it playful – Dance, play, chase your kids (or your dog – not your neighbor’s).
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Make it varied – Mix things up. Your body gets bored too.
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Make it realistic – Set time-based goals, not superhero ones.
The “Should” vs “Need” Mind Game
Lieberman highlights a truth:
There’s a huge gap between “should” and “need.”
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Our ancestors needed to move to survive.
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We just should move to be healthy.
And our brains are like, “meh… should is optional.”
The trick?
Make movement feel necessary again:
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Walk to your favorite coffee shop
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Take the stairs because the elevator is “broken” 😉
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Make exercise dates so you can’t bail
Your New Movement Game Plan (No Gym Membership Required!)
Every 30 Minutes (Set That Phone Timer!):
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✅ Stand up and move for 100 seconds
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✅ Walk around your space
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✅ Stretch
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✅ Dance it out (yes, head bobbing counts)
Daily Movement Wins:
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✅ Take calls while walking
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✅ Use the far bathroom
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✅ Take stairs (start small)
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✅ Park at the back of the lot
Weekly Fun Stuff:
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✅ Do something active that doesn’t feel like punishment
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✅ Try something new (rock climbing?)
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✅ Move with people
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✅ Celebrate your wins – big or small!
The Reality Check You Need to Hear
Here’s what Lieberman taught me:
You’re not lazy for not wanting to exercise.
You’re human.
For most of history, extra movement = wasted survival energy.
So when you look at a treadmill and think “nah” – that’s biology, not failure.
The goal isn’t to fight that instinct. It’s to work with it.
Make movement feel good, necessary, social – like it was for our ancestors (minus the predators).
The Bottom Line (Because We All Love Bottom Lines)
Your chair isn’t trying to kill you.
Your couch isn’t the enemy.
And you’re not a bad person for preferring to sit.
The real magic?
Sprinkle movement through your day like seasoning.
A little here, a little there – and boom:
You’re living in a body that feels great.
Just start with 100-second movement breaks.
No gym. No outfit. No judgment.
Your body has been patiently waiting through millions of years of evolution for you to remember that moving feels good.
Maybe it’s time to give it a try?
P.S.
As always, check with your doctor before making big changes – especially if you haven’t moved much lately.
But also remember – you’ve got this!