Sitting for hours can be a hard habit to kick, said Diaz, with many employees in the study worrying about what their boss or co-workers would think of their breaks.
“Even though it may seem counter-intuitive, movement breaks actually can boost work performance,” said Diaz. “They can improve executive function, attention and memory. And it helps people feel more relaxed and fresh.”
Walking is low-cost and doesn’t have to mean stopping work, he said, pointing to walking meetings or pacing during phone calls – whether outdoors or around the office.
Emily McGrath, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, welcomed the research findings, saying that “simple additions of movement can improve overall health”.
However, she cautioned, “the study relied on self-reported data and was short-term, so longer research is needed to confirm its impact on heart health”.