Body Electric: The Body Across The Ages

Movement breaks improve fatigue levels and emotions

Preliminary findings from a study conducted by Columbia University Medical Center showed that integrating five-minute gentle movement breaks into the workday resulted in improved fatigue levels, positive emotions, and decreased negative emotions for participants. The study revealed a dose-response relationship, with the group that took the most breaks every half hour experiencing the greatest improvements. The group that moved every half hour improved fatigue levels by about 30%, the group that moved every hour improved by about 25%, and the group that moved every two hours improved by about 20%. Despite some challenges with compliance, with 40% of participants dropping out, about 82-83% of those who stuck with the movement breaks reported liking the intervention. The aim now is to create habits around incorporating movement breaks into daily routines.