Cut fatigue and increase focus with short movement breaks | CNN

Kara Alaimo is a professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University and advises parents, students and teachers on how to manage screen time. Her book “Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — And How We Can Take It Back” was published in 2024. Manoush Zomorodi has some good and bad news for you. The bad news? All that sitting you do — whether you’re working at a desk or scrolling — is way worse for your health than you probably realized, the New York City-based NPR journalist warned in her new book, “Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being.” The good news? There’s a simple, free way to eliminate a lot of the negative effects of being sedentary. I spoke to Zomorodi about how building five-minute movement breaks every 30 minutes into our daily routines can leave us healthier, happier and more productive. This conversation has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. CNN: You warn that sitting all day is killing people. Why is it so bad for us? Manoush Zomorodi: There are three reasons it’s so physically detrimental. One is that your leg muscles need stimulation,