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Sitting Break Timer for Desk Work

This timer alternates a period of seated work with a short active break, then starts over. The starting durations are meant to be adapted to your day; official bodies mention a break of 5 to 10 minutes per hour, as set out in the method below.

Work from 15 to 90 minutes, break from 1 to 15 minutes. These starting values are yours to change.

Current phase
Stopped
Time left
30:00
Completed cycles
0

Set the durations, then press Start.

Ideas for your break

  • Stand up and stand tall, with your weight even on both feet.
  • Walk a few steps, for example to the window or to refill a glass of water.
  • Roll your shoulders slowly backwards, without forcing.
  • Look into the distance, out of the window or to the far end of the room.

For guidance only, not medical advice. Move at your own pace and stop any movement that causes pain.

Method and limitations

This timer alternates a period of seated work with an active break. Time is calculated from timestamps rather than by counting down a counter, so it stays accurate when the tab is in the background. The starting values (30 minutes of seated work, 2 minutes of break) are settings you can change, from 15 to 90 minutes for work and from 1 to 15 minutes for the break; they are not an official recommendation. The 30-minute interval is the one used in a randomized trial, not one set by an official body. What the sources say, as our article on sitting breaks reports them: HSE (United Kingdom) advises taking short breaks often rather than longer ones less often, gives an example of 5 to 10 minutes every hour rather than 20 minutes every 2 hours, and states there is no legal guidance on how long or how often. CCOHS (Canada) gives 5 to 10 minutes for every hour at a workstation. The World Health Organization advises limiting sedentary time and replacing it with activity of any intensity, without setting a time limit. In a randomized trial of 49 inactive women office workers, standing or moving for 1 to 2 minutes every half hour cut workday sedentary time by about 36 minutes; a Western University study prompted office workers to take breaks of 2 to 3 minutes every 30 to 45 minutes. Neither study was designed to find an ideal interval, and the results do not necessarily apply to everyone. This is not medical advice: if you have pain or a health condition, ask a health professional. Only your two durations and the sound option are saved, in your browser; the tool works without it.

Sources