Five-minute breaks every hour reduce the harm caused by prolonged sitting

On average, adults in high-income countries spend 11-12 hours a day sitting. This level of sedentary behavior is a major public health concern, as it is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases and mortality.

To find out how to best organize breaks, researchers analyzed data from 19,342 adult participants in the Body Electric Challenge by National Public Radio (NPR). People from different age groups, professions, and work environments took five-minute walking breaks at different frequencies (every 30, 60, or 120 minutes) for 14 days. Prior to this, they had been living their normal lives for a week.

Mood, fatigue, and productivity were assessed through daily electronic surveys. A random sample of 1,200 full-time employees received five SMS surveys per day to track the immediate effects of the breaks.

The implementation potential was assessed using the “feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness” scale (FIM, AIM, IAM): a score above 3 was considered positive.

All three options for the frequency of breaks were feasible, acceptable, and appropriate, with scores exceeding the 3-point threshold. However, there were some differences:

• Feasibility was higher for less frequent breaks;
• Acceptability and appropriateness remained high for all frequencies;
• Fatigue and bad mood decreased, while good mood increased significantly, and there was a dose-response relationship: the more breaks, the greater the effect.

However, the breaks did not reduce productivity. On the contrary, there were small but positive changes on average. Engagement increased by 4-7%, and productivity increased by 1-3%. This contradicts the common belief that movement during the workday interferes with productivity.

Although breaks every 120 minutes were the easiest to implement, they were the least effective. Breaks every 30 minutes had the strongest effect on improving mood and reducing fatigue, but they were less likely to be followed in practice.

The optimal balance was achieved with breaks every hour, as it provided high acceptability and met the threshold values for two of the three psychosocial indicators, and it was also the most popular option (chosen by almost half of the participants).

The study has limitations. All indicators were subjective, the sample mainly consisted of women with a high level of education, and the duration of the experiment was relatively short, so it is difficult to judge the long-term sustainability of the effect.

Nevertheless, the authors believe that the results confirm the potential of short movement breaks as a public health measure. They can be included in physical activity recommendations and tested in further studies.