Academic Research is a Total Pain in the ... Neck

By Gregory Semenza - Chronicle Vitae. One morning about a year ago, I nearly spit out my coffee upon reading the claim that “sitting is the new smoking.” In summarizing the gist of recent research on inactivity, the Runner’s World article wasn’t mincing words: “The more you sit, the poorer your health and the earlier you may die, no matter how fit you are.” I leapt out of my chair and began pacing the room, trying to rewind the damage I’d just done to myself. I’ve long been aware of the fact that an hour at my desk aggravates my back way more than an hour of lifting weights or playing with my kids, but I hadn’t known that my reading and writing were literally killing me. See more...