If you're reading this, there’s a good chance you’re sitting — at your office desk, in traffic, in front of the TV or perhaps at a café during a business meeting. Modern life has turned many of us into professional sitters, and our bodies are paying the price.
Prolonged sitting, known as a sedentary lifestyle, is strongly linked to increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even reduced life expectancy. But there’s good news: you don’t need to quit your job or move to a cabin in the Galilee. Research shows that incorporating a few simple, consistent habits into your daily routine can significantly improve health and longevity.
1. Morning sunlight: Start your day with 10 minutes outside
Most of us wake up and immediately stare at a screen, enter a fluorescent-lit office and confuse our internal clocks. The result: poor sleep, fatigue and stress.
What to do: Before 10 a.m., spend 10 minutes outdoors — walk from your car, have coffee outside or take a lap around the block. Try skipping sunglasses.
Why it works: Natural light resets the circadian rhythm, supports evening melatonin production and improves sleep, mood and energy — all essential for healthy aging.
2. 'Movement snacks': Use downtime to move
Those spare moments — waiting for your computer to boot, an elevator to arrive or a Zoom meeting to load — are usually spent sitting or standing still.
What to do: While waiting, stretch, do 15 squats or shoulder rolls. Try the “Pomodoro technique”: 25 minutes of work followed by a 5-minute movement break. Park farther away, take the stairs (even just part of the way) or get off public transport a stop early.
Why it works: Frequent posture changes and short bursts of movement help muscles absorb blood sugar, reduce inflammation and protect cardiovascular health.
3. The 'glucose walk' after lunch
Eating lunch — especially carbs — and then sitting down leads to a blood sugar spike, followed by an energy crash around 2 p.m.
What to do: Take a slow 10–15 minute walk after eating, ideally outside. No workout gear needed — just move your legs.
Why it works: Muscles use blood sugar for energy, flattening the glucose curve, improving energy and helping prevent insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
4. Redesign your sitting posture
Most of us sit incorrectly. The classic 90-degree seated angle encourages slouching, tight hips and “tech neck” as the head drops forward. This leads to back pain, stiff necks and herniated discs.
What to do: Adjust your chair so your back leans slightly back, with knees slightly below your hips (over 100-degree angle). Raise your monitor so its top is at or just below eye level.
Why it works: Maintaining the natural curve of the lower spine reduces disc pressure. A mobile, strong spine is one of the best indicators of quality of life in old age.
5. Calm the stress alarm: Try the 'physiological sigh'
Emails, deadlines, demanding bosses and endless meetings — modern offices are stress factories. Chronic stress keeps cortisol (the stress hormone) elevated, which wears down the immune system and accelerates cellular aging.
What to do: Trigger your body’s relaxation mode in seconds: inhale deeply through your nose, then take a second, smaller inhale on top of that and exhale slowly through your mouth.
Repeat 3–5 times during stressful moments.
Why it works: The “physiological sigh,” studied at Stanford by Dr. Andrew Huberman, reinflates the lungs’ air sacs and activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the body’s natural calm state. It lowers heart rate, reduces cortisol and induces both physical and mental relaxation — no meditation app required.
Bottom line: Don’t wait for the evening workout
The biggest mistake is thinking, “I’ll sit all day, then cancel it out with a run or spin class at night.” Science is clear: one workout can’t undo 10 hours of sitting.
Longevity isn’t built in marathons — it’s built in small, consistent choices throughout the day. Habit by habit. Don’t wait for tomorrow. Pick one action from this list and start now. Your body, decades from now, will thank you.
- Dr. Nitzan Anav is head of the Longevity Program at Maccabi Health Services