Surprising Reason Americans Are Still Struggling to Get Off the Couch

Americans were sitting less—until the pandemic hit. From 2013 to early 2020, the average amount of time spent sedentary was on a steady decline, according to a JAMA research letter. Then came lockdowns, remote work, and closed gyms. Now, five years later, we’re still not moving the way we used to.

The surprising part? It’s not the pandemic itself that’s holding us back. It’s what we kept from that time: virtual meetings, delivery apps, and digital convenience that eliminate nearly all incidental movement.

Between 2017 and 2020, average sedentary time hovered around 5.9 hours per day. Despite reopening efforts and a return to daily routines, Americans today are still logging six hours of sitting time daily, and that number hasn’t budged since 2021. Experts believe the technology we adopted during lockdowns plays a bigger role than we realize.

Zoom meetings replaced office walks. Grocery delivery replaced cart-pushing. And once-automatic steps, like walking into work or grabbing lunch across the street, have quietly disappeared. The shift wasn’t temporary. For many, it became the new baseline.

And that matters. Yahoo reported that prolonged sitting is linked to a higher risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even certain cancers. The phrase “sitting is the new smoking” might sound overused, but it’s rooted in the reality that a sedentary lifestyle is still a leading health concern in the U.S.

That doesn’t mean everyone needs to hit the gym seven days a week. In fact, experts say daily movement—even in small doses—can make a measurable difference. Taking walking breaks, adding “exercise snacks” throughout the day, or choosing to run errands in person instead of online are all ways to offset the damage of desk-bound days.

There’s also a growing divide in who’s able to get moving again. Gym membership rates hit a record high in 2024, but researchers note that those benefits mostly reach higher-income Americans. For people working multiple jobs or without flexible schedules, building in movement remains a challenge.

The solution isn’t more pressure. It’s more purpose. We don’t need to overhaul our lives. We just need to start moving in the right direction, one step at a time.

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