Get up, go get a drink, do a lap around the office. Get a stand/sit desk. Do some simple exercises. Pushups can be done anywhere, and will alleviate lower back pain.
1. Waking up early and reading something significant with my morning coffee. Usually something on philosophy or theology. Not looking at any screens until I'm at work.
2. Working out for an hour each day. It's like a switch: once I work out regularly, everything else falls into place. I eat better (because I don't want to lose the benefits of the 1 hour workout I just put in). I sleep better (because I have to be up early to workout).
Working out daily truly is one of the best habits I've ever picked up.
I think the other component we'll see questioned more and more over the coming years is the general questioning around homeostasis. I recently finished Scott Carney's: "What Doesn’t Kill Us: How Freezing Water, Extreme Altitude and Environmental Conditioning Will Renew Our Lost Evolutionary Strength" and it was a great read. While the main premise of the book is Scott's initial mission to debunk the Wim Hof Method he delves into a lot of newer research and training that is centered around building up our bodies beyond traditional exercise.
Recently I read through comments on HN when the Bay area hit record highs and how people were cautioning of all of the bad things that would happen if one didn't seek A/C. It really hit home how many people are not acclimated, at all, to any level of extreme that other portions of the planet and people deal with on a daily basis. Just as we're sedentary, we're also not as capable to environmental adaptation - and I'll speculate this isn't good for us long term either. I've moved to 5+ minutes per shower of full cold and stopped using A/C in my vehicle, and more sparingly in my home. If you've never done the cold showers as a test to see what you're body is truly capable of - do it. It's amazing how you adapt in a short period of time. Also the clarity and anxiety reduction it brings to either the start or the end of the day is an understatement. Try it, it's cheap and takes no additional time out of your day if you're already showering anyway.
Knowing what will and won't hurt you is important though. Something as simple as hydration is a lost skill in dealing with heat. I would wager many have forgotten how to walk more than short distances. You can totally walk 2km, unless you have mobility issues.
Not to take away from those with genuine mobility issues of course, but I also note that many are quick to find an ailment to define them and through that can really cheat themselves out of great experiences, assuming they aren't capable when really they are.
I am glad we are getting smarter about this kind of thing though, and the ever prolonged age of retirement is probably going to do a few favours in keeping many active and healthy. When my grandfather finally retired from the farm it was just a couple of years before his mind and body had withered away.
"(high sedentary time [≥12.5 h/d] and high bout duration [≥10 min/bout]) had the greatest risk for death."
I don't think I know anyone who is active on < 10 minute intervals.
It's hard to be the first one to do this. I've been in some places where it would get you funny looks, some where it would get you marked as lazy (somewhat paradoxically), and some where it's encouraged.
I like to do a decent swim on my lunch breaks (1250 meters these days). It was a good sign when my boss asked about how to join the same gym instead of wondering what I was gone for 50 minutes.