Keith Diaz

I am an exercise scientist and Associate Professor at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, where I study how modern lifestyles shape movement and health. My research focuses on the health risks of prolonged sitting and how small, feasible changes in daily movement can reduce chronic disease risk. My work has been featured in major media outlets including the New York Times, CNN, NPR, and CBS News. I served as the scientific lead for the NPR podcast series Body Electric, a large-scale public experiment that engaged thousands of participants in rethinking their daily movement habits and informed a forthcoming book. My public-facing writing on sedentary health has reached more than 1.5 million readers worldwide. Through my research and public work, I aim to challenge the way we think about everyday movement and to redesign modern life so that movement becomes the default rather than the exception.

I’m passionate about helping people feel better in their everyday lives not through extreme workouts, but through small changes in how they move throughout the day.

Exercise alone isn’t enough. How we move throughout the day matters just as much for our health.