While taking an active interest in one's health is positive, Dr. Metzl noted that the pursuit of perfect metrics can sometimes become anxiety-provoking and counterproductive. Rather than focusing on unproven biohacks or obsessing over wearable data, he encourages patients to prioritize evidence-based habits such as regular exercise, nutritious eating, quality sleep, stress management, and meaningful social connections, emphasizing that there is no one-size-fits-all path to health and longevity.

Read the full article at medscape.com. 

“The key for sports for kids is that we want to make sure we are encouraging healthy activity across a lifespan,” Dr. Metzl said. “The risk of specialization in sport is that we are trying to put a lot of resources and a lot of pressure in a small number of kids, and that can sometimes work against the idea of encouraging them to be active for their whole lives.”

Read the full article at healio.com. 

"Age-related muscle loss has a medical name: sarcopenia. It is common, well described and begins in our 40s, often earlier than most people realize. Yet we still tend to treat it like fate rather than physiology. Sarcopenia is natural, but you have a lot more control over how much muscle you lose — and at what rate — than you probably imagine. Combating it starts with recognizing why muscle loss happens, and then empowering yourself to not accept it as an inevitability," said Dr. Metzl. 

Read the full article at washingtonpost.com. 

Peptides are short-chain amino acids, which are the "building blocks" of protein, Dr. Metzl shared. "They're made throughout our body ... and they can also be synthesized," he continued. 

Since peptides target specific bodily functions, there’s a lot of interest in using them for therapeutic purposes outside of the already approved treatments, Dr. Metzl explained.

The problem? The claims about uses and benefits are outpacing the research on safety and effectiveness.

While peptides may hold promise, the research in humans simply isn't there yet, Metzl explained. If you're looking to improve your longevity, promote muscle growth or enhance performance, you don't need to take peptides. There are plenty of lifestyle changes you can make to reap the benefits popular peptides claim to provide, he said.

Read the full article at today.com. 

According to Dr. Metzl, getting older doesn’t have to mean slowing down. In fact, turning up the intensity, even very briefly, can transform long-term health and improve longevity."

“For decades, we’ve told people that moving more is the key to better health. And that’s true — but it’s only part of the story. Increasingly, research shows that how you move matters nearly as much as how often. In particular, brief bursts of higher-intensity activity can have an outsize impact on health, fitness and even longevity,” explained Dr. Metzl. 

Read the full article at washingtonpost.com. 

"The holy grail of fitness is compliance, and the holy grail of compliance is fun," said Dr. Metzl. 

"Most people get bored, and so having some variety is great, mentally," Dr. Metzl continued. Mixing up workouts also challenges different muscle groups, improving balance and body awareness — traits that make it easier to stay active as you age, he explained. 

Read the full article at axios.com. 

Bone density gradually begins to decline around the age of 35, and can be more pronounced in women post-menopause, but for athletes, bone density is often maintained through a history of resistance training. “Exercises such as strength training can slow the progression of bone density loss,” explained Dr. Metzl. “My goal is to keep people moving at whatever phase of life they are in, from kids to grandparents,” he explained.

Genetics can play a part in terms how the aging process affects athletes, but Dr. Metzl says that regular exercise is key to preserving muscle mass and ligament health. So, too, is a healthy, high protein diet. Still, no matter how hard Rousey or Carano may train, “They’re not 25,” notes the doctor. “A 35-year-old body is more likely to suffer injury, either repetitive stress injury or acute traumatic injury. The collagen just isn’t as strong. That means injuries such as tendon strains and tears, ligament sprains, and bone injuries, including stress fractures and traumatic fractures are just more likely to occur.”

Read the full article at muscleandfitness.com.

“Playing tennis is the dessert; your dinner is taking care of your body through strength training and good body awareness,” said Dr. Metzl. “You can’t have dessert until you’ve had your dinner!” 

“Tennis is a sport where we most commonly see repetitive use injuries, injuries that happen over time, as compared to sports like skiing where we see acute, one time injuries,” added Dr. Metzl. “With repetitive use injuries, they are almost always preventable by recognizing the pain early on, knowing when to stop and back off and working on things like strength, flexibility and form to prevent recurrence.”

Read the full article at forbes.com. 

From a very young age, Dr. Metzl knew that playing sports energized and helped him focus. It wasn't until years into his career as a sports medicine doctor that he began prescribing exercise to others. "It's the most ubiquitous, effective, totally no-side-effects drug in the world," said Dr. Metzl, who recently published “Push: Unlock the Science of Fitness Motivation to Embrace Health and Longevity.”

Exercise is also something Dr. Metzl feels is sometimes overlooked in the longevity space, in favor of fancier products.

Read the full article at businessinsider.com.

As the temperature drops, it can feel increasingly challenging to work out. The inside of your house is warm and cozy, but going outside brings unwelcome discomfort like frigid fingers and toes. Pair that with muscle soreness and joint stiffness that we tend to notice in the colder months, and it’s a wonder people work out at all in the winter.

“When it’s cold outside, our body uses thermoregulation to conserve heat in the most important areas, the vital organs,” explained Dr. Metzl. He added that to maintain your central body temperature, blood is directed to your core. Your blood vessels narrow in a process called vasoconstriction to conserve heat. You might start to involuntarily shiver, which is your body’s way of trying to generate warmth. Shivering causes your muscles tense up, which can lead to pain.

As emphasized by Dr. Metzl, physical activity is your most powerful defense against winter aches: “It’s important to keep the muscles and joints moving all year long, but particularly in the winter when there is less movement outside of sport participation."

Read the full article at outsideonline.com. 

“Running is a pretty high-impact sport — it’s a lot of stress on the body,” said Dr. Kew. If you plan to increase the amount you’re training, she says, it’s best to build up slowly and to follow the guidance of a running club, coach or training plan.

Shin splints are an overuse injury. Many experts believe they are a result of inflammation in and around the muscles that pull on the tibia’s surface, or from damage to the bone. However, doctors don’t fully understand what causes them on a cellular level.

Pain from shin splints may be sharp or dull and it that may improve during a run at first, but it can linger as the injury worsens. “It’s like a toothache in your leg that doesn’t go away,” said Dr. Metzl. “The worse the ache, the more significant the problem.”

Read the full article at nytimes.com. 

Watch at today.com. 

“I get it, being a doctor is all about the hours,” he said. “The time sacrifices get brutal and you have to cut something out, sometimes every day. For a lot of us, that’s exercise.”

“The better shape you’re in, the better job you’ll do as a physician,” he said. “You’ll feel better when the hours get long. In my own career, I have always been a better doctor when I’m active and in shape.”

Knowledge isn’t really the issue for physicians. Reality is. And reality dictates that doctors have just as much issue with achieving consistency as any patient they prescribe exercise to.

Dr. Metzl suggests total body functional training to mimic real-world movement, particularly core and lower body to keep you upright for hours at a time. How do you schedule that? He uses early mornings and weekends to train for his races and run his fitness classes, which is why his primary advice is to focus not on the activity, but on time.

“Schedule full workouts when you can and steal the rest,” he said.

Read the full article at mdedge.com. 

Even short bouts come with powerful health benefits, including improved heart health, weight loss and a longer life. 

The movement is simple, but intense because stair climbing forces you to work against gravity as you repeatedly propel your body up a small height.

It can work because by not using your hands for balance, the exercise requires you to use all your core muscles to stabilize yourself, Jordan D. Metzl, MD, sports medicine physician at HSS explained. 

Read the full article at today.com. 

With 25 years practicing sports medicine at the HSS under his belt, it’s hard to deny that Dr. Metzl has helped shape the livelihoods of a remarkable number of patients. He estimated that he’s served over 40,000 people, and noted that his work with some families has been multigenerational.

“The commonality that I see in my office with everybody–from an 8-year-old gymnast to an 85-year-old person doing a marathon–is that they all want to move. My job is to help keep them moving,” Dr. Metzl said.

Over the course of his career, he’s gone from putting “paper or film copies of an MRI up on a viewbox” to everything being digitized, he explained. This improvement in the “technology of rehabilitation” allowed him to spread his practice worldwide. Dr. Metzl’s focus is often “how to maximize performance without surgery,” and yet these innovations don’t take away from the core of his practice: “A one-on-one, person-to-person, family-to-family relationship."

Read the full article at ourtownny.com. 

“People get hurt training for a marathon, not doing a marathon,” said Dr. Metzl, who has completed 35 marathons. 

Dr. Metzl and his colleagues tracked the training of 735 runners registered for the 2019 New York City Marathon, collecting data from nearly 50,000 training runs. They found that 40 percent of the athletes got injured during training, compared to 16 percent who were injured during or right after the race. A rapid increase in weekly running mileage was associated with a higher likelihood of injury.

Marathon training plans can range from 16 to 24 weeks, but some coaches advise 20 to 24 week plans regardless of ability. An average week should include easy running, one long run, a speed or hill workout and strength training.

Beginners should start at least six months before the race. Look for a plan that includes regular runs and slowly increases weekly mileage. “People need a longer ramp up than they think,” Dr. Metzl said.

Read the full article at washingtonpost.com. 

Aches and pains are part of exercising, explained Dr. Metzl. 

“If it doesn’t hurt a little bit you’re probably not pushing hard enough,” he said.

Read the full article at nytimes.com. A subscription is required to access. 

For people who want to join the movement, but find it too difficult, there’s 75 Soft, which can be a more feasible way to do the program, experts including Jordan D. Metzl, MD, primary sports medicine physician at HSS say.

“I think it’s both doable and realistic for most people,” said Dr. Metzl. 

Dr. Metzl advises training for 45 minutes every day, with one day of active recovery every week. Dr. Metzl likes that this rule doesn’t state what specific exercise you have to do. It could be 45 minutes of walking, yoga or strength training. 

Read the full article at Today.com. 

One common fitness myth is that running destroys your knees. Research has debunked the notion that running increases your risk of osteoarthritis, and even suggests it can protect your knees against the condition. In fact, not moving increases your risk of developing osteoarthritis, along with age, weight and genetics.

That said, running can definitely lead to knee pain or injury if you train too aggressively, said Dr. Metzl,  Dr. Metzl called this “violating the rule of toos” — running too fast or too far too soon. “Increase slowly,” he said. And if you start to feel knee pain, get it checked out as soon as possible by a sports medicine expert.

Read the full article at nytimes.com. A subscription is required. 

Watch the segment here on today.com. The segment also aired on broadcast on TODAY on September 13, 2023. 

Although pickleball injuries' are becoming more common, Dr. Metzl said this should not deter you from playing. The benefits — moving, having fun, building a community — far outweigh the risks.

So what should you watch out for? In pickleball, we see repetitive-use injuries, especially in the wrist and elbow, and sudden injuries from quick ballistic movements. Injuries commonly occur when lunging forward for a low shot, which can cause straining to a calf or hamstring explained Dr. Metzl. 

With pickleball, the key to staying on the court and not in physical therapy is recognizing the warning signs. Small muscle cramps often precede a more serious injury, as does an overall sense of fatigue. If this is happening to you, back off for a bit and rest until you feel ready said Dr. Metzl. 

Before starting a game, do dynamic warm-ups — like jogging in place, jumping jacks, walking lunges and air squats advised Dr. Metzl. 

Read the full article at Washingtonpost.com. 

Dr. Johnson advised that for most people, "no major heel drop" is best for walking shoes, and many brands choose not to list heel drop.

Dr. Johnson said that thick cushioning can help “lessen impact per step and absorb impact,” and she also finds that cushioning for the arches "helps with flat feet and overpronators to keep the foot supported." But too much cushioning can feel bulky, so "you can feel unbalanced."

If you have any existing foot pain, Dr. Metzl suggested going with the pair that "makes the pain go away when you're walking around the store," as that's a good indicator you've found a winning shoe.

Dr. Metzl stressed that comfort is key. Regardless of the product claims, you should be “as objective as you can for support and comfort,” he noted. 

Read the full article at goodhousekeeping.com. 

You don't have to hit your step goal every single day to get the benefits of regular walking. New research suggests walking 8,000 steps just once or twice per week can have significant health benefits. Researchers saw the same benefits, in general, when participants walked anywhere between 6,000 to 10,000 steps.

Dr. Metzl noted, “When finding the right type of exercise, there's no one-size-fits-all answer — as long as it's something you enjoy enough to do it consistently.”

"The holy grail of fitness, in my world, is compliance," Dr. Metzl explained. “It doesn't matter if you're a yogi or a biker or a walker or a swimmer. We know that people will be the most compliant with something they're smiling about doing.”

Watch the segment here on today.com. The segment also aired on broadcast on TODAY on March 29, 2023. 

Dr. Metzl noted the discussion about returning to in-person work has largely focused on productivity. If an employee is equally productive in a remote setting, why bring them back to the office? All things being equal, remote work is cheaper and more convenient than commuting.

Although productivity is important, Dr. Metzl cited sufficient consideration to the negative health effects of remote work hasn't been given. Those who have the luxury of working from home might ultimately end up realizing that remote work is disadvantageous to their mental and physical well-being. 

Furthermore, he referred to a recent compilation of evidenced-based studies investigating the mental and physical effects of remote work found mixed results. Some workers thrived in the remote work environment, citing more time for healthy behaviors including exercise and family, while others became less active, gained weight, and reported feelings of isolation and depression. 

Read the full article at nytimes.com. A subscription is required to access.

“Exercise is as effective as many of the drugs that we use and has no side effects," said Jordan D. Metzl, MD, sports medicine physician at HSS who wasn’t involved with the study. “We want to get people taking it every day.”

Read the full article at WSJ.com.  A subscription is required to access.

“We’ve known for centuries that exercise is part of the way to develop a healthy and long life,” said Dr. Metzl. "But it’s only in the past 70 years that we’ve recognized the medicinal value of exercise.”

Dr. Metzl helped develop an annual seminar teaching medical students ways to prescribe exercise that go beyond the guidance of “30 minutes per day”. However, doctors and other health care professionals often struggle to prescribe exercise to prevent or treat disease. “The drug of movement is one of the safest and most effective forms of preventive health,” noted Dr. Metzl. “We need to get the medical community fully engaged in prescribing exercise for their patients.” 

Read the full article webmd.com.

Dr. Metzl emphasized the importance of not doing too much, too fast, whether marathon training, preparing for a walking event, or just trying to meet a particular running goal. As demonstrated in a study published by he and his colleagues in the British Journal of Sports Medicine evaluating the risk factors for injury in runners training for the New York City Marathon, of all modifiable factors (e.g., body weight or number of marathons completed), the strongest predictor of injury was rapidly increasing training miles. This was true for novices to experienced runners. Dr. Metzl advised runners of all ability levels to create an individual training program that focuses on slow, steady progression.

Additionally, he noted to pay attention to aches and pains, stating if pain alters the mechanics of movement, it should be checked out. Furthermore, Dr. Metzl suggested keeping the muscles strong by engaging in high repetition, light weight strength training, and finding comfortable running shoes.

Read the full article at NYTimes.com. A subscription is required to access.

According to Dr. Metzl, as runners enter peak training season and increase their mileage for fall marathons, many can get hampered by repetitive-use injuries.

He noted that Runner’s knee and Achilles tendinitis can be deceptively minor. “They tend to hurt just a bit more every day, but if they’re not properly recognized and diagnosed, they can be quite serious,” he said.

Dr. Metzl explained that research suggests first-timers have a higher rate of injury than seasoned marathoners. It can take months for the body to adapt to distance running, he added.

The article highlights a student recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, led by Brett G. Toresdahl, MD, and co-authored by Dr. Metzl, showing that a rapid increase in training volume is a major predictive factor for developing an injury in marathon training.

“As long as you’re cross-training, you should be fine to pick up where you left off rather than try to catch up,” he noted.

Read the full article at WSJ.com. A subscription is required to access.

Dr. Metzl explained, “The idea of balance is, it’s a functional test. Meaning, how have you been taking care of your body? How strong are you? How much have you been exercising and moving? Are you overweight? Are you fatiguing easily?”

Watch the full segment at Insideedition.com.

Dr. Metzl explained the “stomach vacuum” primarily focuses on strengthening the front muscles of the core, making it a disproportionate move to the back muscles.

He continued, “If you’re a bodybuilder, and you just want to look good up on the stage with ripped abs, that’s fine. But if you actually want a back (for) playing golf and with your kids, and you know, doing a triathlon and playing baseball, I’m much more a fan of strengthening the muscles in the front and the back of the spine at the same time.”

According to Dr. Metzl, "Planks ... they really work; I would come down strongly in favor of planks. Because it strengthens both the front and the back. It's a similarly isometric exercise, meaning it doesn't get longer or shorter, and so I'm a big fan of that.”

Read the full article at Today.com.

Dr. Metzl explained the stair climber is a cardio and strength workout that uses the full body, and using all of the muscles at once like that can improve physical fitness.

By removing the hands from the railing of the machine, the exercise requires the use of all core muscles for stabilization. He advised keeping the body in an upright position as it experiences the instability of walking up steps puts a high load on the abdominals.

“Just think about basically doing a 25-minute plank, with walking, it's a huge amount of exercise,” he noted.

He explained, “When you lean on the handlebars, you put force on the machine and take pressure off of your core, Metzl said. And without that additional need for balance, your core does not experience as much of a workout.

Dr. Metzl said that the best exercise programs are ones that are fun. “If you’re smiling when you’re doing it, I’m fine with that,” he said.

He recommended planks, burpees, jump squats and lunges as additional full-body workouts that will activate the core.

Read the full article at Today.com.

According to Dr. Metzl, “When you have COVID your lung function is diminished, your cardiac function is diminished, you’ve lost endurance, there’s a lot of things that can affect your performance. Certainly if you had any kind of infection, there can be a performance lag on the way back up. It may be longer in this disease for some people.”

Dr. Metzl recommended prioritizing daily exercise. He continued, “Exercise going into getting COVID seems to affect how well you’re going to do with the disease. That’s not to say that you can’t be a very fit, active person and have more significant problems.”

Read the full article at Womensrunning.com.

According to Dr. Metzl, “Your body right now is not the same body you had two years ago, so you’ve got to pay attention to that. I’ve been talking to patients about closing the gap between where you are and where your mind thinks you are.”

Dr. Metzl recommended investing time in strength training and cross training. “Every time you run, it’s a battle of man or woman against the ground. And the ground wins every time,” he cited.

Dr. Metzl also advised runners to be mindful of the “Rules of Too” – doing too much, too quickly. He said drastically increasing mileage or workout intensity can create a greater risk for an overuse injury.

If pain causes a shift in mechanics or running form, it might be time to consult with a doctor, he noted.

This article appeared in print on September 13 and online at NYTimes.com. A subscription is required to access.

Dr. Metzl explained the changing of the seasons and temperature can be a factor, and that the itching is usually more common in the colder months, which is notable heading into the fall marathon season.

“The best way to think about preventing it is to figure out if it is exposed or unexposed skin, if the cold air causing it, and then make modifications accordingly,” Dr. Metzl explained.

“Sometimes an anti-inflammatory can help make a difference for some of the more significant cases of this,” he added.

Watch the full video interview at Today.com.

Dr. Metzl said that plantar fasciitis sufferers typically feel a sharp stab or deep ache in the heel or along the arch of the foot.

Plantar fasciitis-related heel pain tends to strike those who overtrain, neglect to stretch their calf muscles, or overdo hill workouts and speed intervals. “When you have very tight calf muscles, they will pull on the plantar fascia and cause a lot of pain,” noted Dr. Metzl.

According to Dr. Metzl it is critical to address plantar fasciitis as soon as there is pain. “When the fascia comes off the bone, it gets chronically inflamed and can heal exceptionally slowly. Plantar fasciitis can be sore for months because the healing response is proportionate to blood flow. When something has a good blood supply like a muscle, it heals quickly, but the plantar fascia essentially has no blood supply so it can take longer to heal,” he explained.

Dr. Metzl underscored the importance of regularly stretching the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon, first in the morning and three times during the day in both feet.

Read the full article at Runnersworld.com.

Dr. Metzl advised runners to add in strength training two to three times a week to help power through miles injury-free for years to come.

“Running can create muscle imbalances or accentuate ones you already have. Weak calves, for example, put too much stress on the Achilles and break down the fibers that make up the tendon. Unstable hip and core muscles hurt your biomechanics and overload your shins, which can lead to shin splints and stress fractures,” he explained.

Exercises included: Plyometric Lunge, Straight-Leg Calf Raise, Bent-Knee Calf Raise, Eccentric Calf Raise and Farmer’s Walk on Toes.

Read the full article at Runnersworld.com.

Dr. Metzl explained the importance of building mobility to stay elastic and prevent injury. “Muscles and connective tissues lose elasticity, which shortens your stride. People who only run tend to develop injuries as they get tight and lose strength. Building strength and mobility through your entire kinetic chain—all of the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bones running the length of your body—is extremely important,” he said.

Read the full article at Runnersworld.com.

For runners who start experiencing pain in the Achilles region, it is advised to stop running because it could make it worse. Dr. Metzl explained, “An irritated Achilles tendon can turn into a more serious tendinosis and partial or complete tear of the Achilles in very rapid succession.”

For the treatment of Achilles tendinitis, see a physician if there is a lump or nodule in the area, but otherwise try to reduce swelling and irritation with icing, anti-inflammatory medicine or even self-massage, noted Dr. Metzl.

While Achilles tendinitis is healing, Dr. Metzl suggested staying away from high-impact, weight-bearing exercises and trying low-impact activities like swimming, pool running, or cycling in a low gear instead.

To prevent the recurrence of Achilles tendinitis, it’s important to strengthen the muscles in your calves and feet. Dr. Metzl cited, “The stronger the muscles, the less the loading force is on the tendon.”

To prevent Achilles tendinitis in the future, Dr. Metzl recommended shorter strides and quickening the cadence to avoid the heel-striking too heavily, as Achilles tendinitis is also linked to overstriding.

Read the full article at RunnersWorld.com.

Dr. Metzl suggests trying out many different walking shoes before buying to find the pair that fits you best and feels most comfortable.

Read the full article at GoodHousekeeping.com.

According to HSS Journal guidelines authored by Dr. Metzl and colleagues, individuals who had mild to moderate COVID-19 may be able to slowly return to exercise after they have been symptom-free (aside from loss of taste and smell) for at least five to seven days. When starting out, the guidelines suggest cutting the length of your typical fitness routine by about 50 percent for one week, followed by 30 percent, 20 percent and 10 percent for the next three weeks — as long as it feels good. “Once you're back to your usual workout length, you can start to think about increasing your intensity,” said Dr. Metzl. Tuohy added many people wait longer to exercise and also need to ramp up their workouts more slowly.

Tuohy suggested deep belly breathing which can help rebuild the muscles that support your lungs. There's also no such thing as a workout that's "too short" to count — especially after COVID. "When recovering from illness, it's best to do short amounts of exercise throughout the day," she cited. Low-intensity cardio activities like mellow walks, bike rides or elliptical sessions - can help you build back your heart and lung strength without over-stressing your symptoms, according to Tuohy. Additionally, after days or weeks of inactivity, the muscles can do more than lose strength. They can also tense up. "For example, the muscles in your shoulders and chest might shorten and tighten if you have been curled up in bed," said Tuohy. Spending a lot of time sitting or lying in bed can also lead to tight lower-body muscles. "Stretching and lengthening them will help you stay injury-free," she added.

Read the full article at Livestrong.com.

With COVID-19, you might need to play things a little more cautious explained Dr. Metzl. "Exercising with COVID-19 is very different than exercising through a cold, which you may have done in the past," he said. HSS guidelines encourage people who have tested positive for COVID-19 to avoid working out (especially at a high intensity) until they've had at least seven days without symptoms. This timeframe is much longer for people who experience heart-related complications of COVID-19.

Tuohy explained when the heart is already over-stressed, it's possible that exercise could add to the problem. Although exercise can lower your risk of developing blood clots in the first place, it can be dangerous to work out once one has already formed. "The clot could then travel to your lungs," said Tuohy, which can be fatal. Tuohy added, "Exercise typically has anti-inflammatory effects, but if you are in a state of acute inflammation, it might actually set you way back.”

Read the full article at Livestrong.com.

All of that pounding the pavement may cause strains or sprains to the muscles in your back, damaged discs, nerve pain such as sciatica, or arthritis-related aching, explained Dr. Metzl. “Smaller strides will reposition your posture so that your foot strikes under your body, not in front, and this will better absorb the impact of that force,” he said. Dr. Metzl advised to seek a gait evaluation from a physical therapist, biomechanical specialist, or kinesiologist.

Strengthening the core can also stave off sprains and strains in your lower back. Core muscles in the pelvis, lower back, hips, and abdomen all work together to support the spine and help better absorb that GRF [ground reaction force], cited Dr. Metzl. This is why runners who have weaker core muscles may be more likely to develop back pain. “Work with a physical therapist to design a core-strengthening regimen that works best for you,” he suggested.

Read the full article at Thehealthy.com.

“Dead Butt Syndrome is a real medical entity. And what happens is your glute muscles from sitting on your butt too much, literally fall asleep and it causes a whole host of problems including pain and sometimes numbness,” explained Jordan D. Metzl, MD, sports medicine physician at HSS.

“The good news is Dead Butt Syndrome is a pretty easy fix,” said Dr. Metzl. “In addition to getting up and moving around, strong muscles tip to toe make a difference. But if you’re getting numbness down your legs and it doesn’t go away with just regular exercises, it may be time to talk to your doctor.”

Dr. Metzl advised, “I want people to make sure every hour, 5-10 minutes, they get up, they stretch, they move. Your body needs to move. Sitting for hours in a row is terrible for your health, even if you’re exercising. So make sure you get up and move around.”

This segment aired on March 10, 2021. Watch the segment at Today.com.