Keith Diaz

Keith Diaz is a certified exercise physiologist and the Florence Irving Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. He studies sedentary behavior, cardiovascular risk, and practical movement-break strategies, and spoke at TED2026 about the effects of prolonged sitting and the benefits of short movement breaks throughout the day.

Five-Minute Walks Every Half Hour Blunted Post-Meal Glucose Spikes

Modern work has not just crowded out workouts; it has stripped movement from the rest of the day, exercise scientist Keith Diaz argues. His research points to a modest remedy: brief movement breaks, including five-minute walks every half hour, which in his lab sharply blunted post-meal glucose spikes. Looser versions still mattered, Diaz says, with real-world participants reporting less fatigue and lab data showing mood benefits from shorter breaks.

TEDJun 29, 20267 min read