Many of us have jobs that require us to sit and look at a screen all day long. Then we go home and sit on the couch and look at a different screen. We know that doesn’t feel healthy, but what can we do?

Manoush Zomorodi, the host of NPR’s TED Radio Hour, wanted to know.

She enlisted the help of Keith Diaz, PhD, of the Columbia University Medical Center. He was studying just this, and this is what he found, according to Zomorodi.

“Five minutes of movement every half hour during long periods of sitting and looking at a screen largely offset many of the health problems that come along with sitting all day. We have all heard that sitting is the new smoking,” she said.

She then joined his study and saw tremendous results: Her blood pressure dropped by 5 points, her glucose levels were cut in half, and she regained focus and optimism.

But she wondered whether people could keep this up. So NPR put out the call and at least 20,000 people took part in their version of the study to see whether they could integrate movement breaks every half hour, every hour, or every two hours.

And the results were equally astounding: fatigue levels dropped and average of 25 percent, productivity rose, and participants regained an ability to concentrate and saw their moods level out.

Some participants found that they didn’t want to interrupt their work when they were already concentrating, or in a “flow” state. Zomorodi again:

“But we found that the people who were able to stick with the movement breaks were able to cut themselves some slack. They were not rigid about it. If you are in flow, stay there. That’s great,” she said.

And take a movement break as your focus starts to fade.

For more information about the study, look for Zomorodi’s new book, Body Electric.

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