Get Up! — James A. Levine

Take a stand against disease, depression, and obesity by ditching the sedentary lifestyle -- and becoming actively happy and healthy: “Fascinating research.” -- Booklist

It feels great to sink into the sofa after a long day -- but spending too much time sitting down can have serious health consequences. Some studies show it can be more dangerous than smoking. But how can you combat the threat in an era of desk jobs, spread-out suburbs, and digital everything?

In Get Up!, James A. Levine's original scientific research shows how today's chair-based world, in which we no longer use our bodies as they evolved to be used, is having negative consequences on our health, and is a leading cause of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. In the course of recent history, humans have moved from a primarily active lifestyle to one that is largely sedentary, and this change has reshaped every facet of our lives, from social interaction to classroom design. The good news is that fixing the problem doesn't require mountain climbing or marathon running. Levine shows how to throw off the shackles of inertia -- and reverse these negative trends through simple changes in our daily lives.