We're an industry that solves impossible technical challenges, builds systems serving billions, and automates the world - yet we haven't figured out how to sit at a desk without destroying our bodies. I learned this the hard way: active engineer → COVID couch potato → 41-year-old developer with chronic pain. The research reveals I was just one predictable data point in a massive pattern.
This isn't about being "out of shape." Within hours of sitting, arteries lose elasticity and blood pressure spikes. After one day, insulin dysfunction kicks in. Within days, 4,500+ genes rewire themselves and fat-burning enzymes shut down by 90%. Structural adaptations create "tech neck," and spinal damage now appears in children as young as 9. We're systematically breaking our bodies while building the digital world.
Here's what shocked me most: exercise can't save us. You can't out-train 8 hours of sitting damage. The solution isn't better ergonomics - it's a complete mental reframe of how we work and live as developers. I'll share the latest research and specific strategies that can shift your trajectory from inevitable decline to sustainable vitality. Because the alternative isn't just pain - it's a future where we can't move freely through life at all.
This talk has been presented at React Advanced 2025, check out the latest edition of this React Conference.
