Study Finds 5-Minute Hourly Breaks Cut Sitting Fatigue in 19,342 Adults
Updated
Updated · The Seattle Times · Aug 17
Study Finds 5-Minute Hourly Breaks Cut Sitting Fatigue in 19,342 Adults
3 articles · Updated · The Seattle Times · Aug 17
Summary
A British Journal of Sports Medicine study found five-minute movement breaks every hour best balanced effectiveness and practicality for reducing some harms of prolonged sitting in a 14-day, real-world trial.
Among 19,342 adults in NPR's Body Electric Challenge, all break schedules—every 30, 60 or 120 minutes—improved mood and reduced fatigue without hurting work performance.
The 30-minute schedule delivered the biggest mood and fatigue gains but was hardest to sustain, while 120-minute breaks were easiest yet too weak for many participants to find meaningful.
Nearly half chose hourly breaks, which produced meaningful fatigue and good-mood improvements and emerged as the most workable option for people sedentary 11 to 12 hours a day in high-income countries.