Maybe you run at the weekend, or fit in a gym session before work, and then spend the next eight hours in a chair. It’s easy to assume the workout covers the rest of the day. Exercise does a lot for you, but long stretches of sitting are a slightly different thing, and short breaks fill the gap.

Exercise and sitting are two different things

A large review pooling data from over a million adults looked at how sitting and activity work together. People who sat for more than eight hours a day needed around 60 to 75 minutes of moderate activity daily, like brisk walking or cycling, to offset the extra health risk of all that sitting. About three in four people didn’t reach that level.

That doesn’t make your exercise any less worthwhile. Active people did better overall, however long they sat. It just means a workout and a day of sitting affect your body in different ways, and breaking up your sitting time adds something exercise alone doesn’t.

What microbreaks do for your body

A microbreak is a short pause of a few minutes or less where you get up and move. They’re small, but the research behind them is encouraging.

• Neck and back comfort: in a six-month trial with office workers, 17% of people taking regular active breaks developed new neck pain, compared with 44% of those who didn’t. For lower back pain, it was 9% compared with 33%.
• Energy: a review of 22 studies found that breaks of 10 minutes or less were linked to more energy and less fatigue during the working day.
• Blood sugar after meals: in one study of adults in midlife, a 2-minute walk every 20 minutes lowered blood sugar after a meal by about a quarter, compared with sitting straight through. Insulin levels dropped by a similar amount.

Your practice plan

There’s a new 5-minute video for every day of the programme. Alongside it, the VIDA library has 30-second videos you can use for quick breaks whenever you have a spare moment. You could aim for your daily video plus a few 30-second breaks spread through the day, especially during long stretches at your desk. At the end of each week we’ll check in on how you’re getting on, so you can see how your days are changing.

What you’ll be doing

The videos use simple movements you can do in your work clothes, with no equipment and no need to get changed. If you’re working in the office, the videos show seated options you can do at your desk. If you’re working from home, you’ll see both seated and standing options. Movements include gentle neck and shoulder moves, easy stretches for your back and hips, and ways to get up and move.

What it should feel like

A microbreak should feel easy, more like loosening up than working out. Many people notice their shoulders drop, their back feels less stiff, or their head feels a bit clearer afterwards. If any movement feels uncomfortable, make it smaller or skip it.

Ready for your session

Your session  is ready. Press play and the instructor will guide you through it, with options that suit wherever you’re working today.

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