Sitting breaks

Long stretches of sitting are worth breaking up, even if you exercise. See how many short breaks your day needs.

Your details

Breaking up 8.0 hours of sitting

16 breaks

one every 30 minutes

Moving time a day32 min
Steps, roughly2,560
Extra energy over sitting56 kcal a day
TV with adverts: 2.0 hoursabout 6 ad breaks, up to 16 min on your feet (at most 8 minutes of adverts an hour), about 28 kcal
Ad break movessquats, marching on the spot, wall push ups, calf raises

The UK guideline asks us to break up long periods of sitting. In a 2012 study, 2 minutes of light walking every 20 minutes lowered blood sugar after meals compared with sitting straight through. Standing up in every advert break is an easy way to do that in the evening; streaming, stand up between episodes instead.

The working

8 hours, up every 30 minutes

That is 16 breaks of 2 minutes: 32 minutes of light walking a day, about 2,560 steps and about 56 kcal more than sitting through.

The evidence

Small breaks, real effects

In a 2012 study, adults who walked lightly for 2 minutes every 20 minutes had lower blood sugar and insulin after meals than when they sat for the whole time. The UK guideline asks everyone to break up long sitting.

TV evenings

The advert break workout

Ofcom limits adverts on ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 to 8 minutes an hour between 18:00 and 23:00, and other commercial channels to 9 minutes an hour on average, usually in about 3 breaks. Standing for every break in 3 hours of evening TV is up to 24 minutes on your feet: squats in one break, marching on the spot in the next, wall push ups and calf raises after that.

Ideas

Easy reasons to stand

Phone calls on your feet
Refill a small water glass
Walk to a colleague instead of messaging
Stand for the first item of every meeting

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

ExerciseBreaks do not replace the 150 weekly minutes.
MobilityIf standing is hard, arm and leg movements in a chair help too.
Medical advicePeople with diabetes should follow their own care plan.

Questions

Common questions

How often should I get up from sitting?

Every 30 minutes or so is a good habit; 20 is even better.

Is sitting really bad if I exercise?

Long unbroken sitting has effects of its own, so breaks help everyone.

What counts as a break?

Standing up and moving for a minute or two.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Before you push on

New to exercise, or got a heart, lung or joint condition? Have a word with your GP or practice nurse first. Stop and get help if you feel chest pain, faintness or unusual breathlessness, and call 999 if it is severe.