Movement Breaks: Simple Ways to Improve Energy and Focus at Work

Working at a desk for many hours a day is quite a tiring activity. After staying in one position for a long time, you may feel your muscles tense, your eyes tired, a lack of energy, or an inability to focus. When your work is complicated, you are likely to keep sitting and working despite exhaustion. However, taking movement breaks during the day may be a very easy method to change the routine of prolonged sitting and get refreshed physically and mentally.

Movement breaks do not require you to do exercises or take a lot of time. You may go for a little walk, do some stretching, stand up, or change your position, and this will serve as a nice interruption to sitting work.

What are Movement Breaks?

Movement breaks are defined as brief intervals of physical activity that people incorporate into their work schedule. This can be walking, standing, stretching, postural changes, or other physical activity close to your desk. A movement break is different from a workout since it does not require too much time and can easily be incorporated into the daily work routine.

This kind of break does not imply any intensive physical activity. The point of a movement break at the workplace is to get your body moving after staying seated for some time. You can stand up after finishing one of the tasks, walk around during a phone call, stretch your shoulders between meetings, or walk for a while when you feel that you are losing focus on the job.

How Movement Breaks Improve Energy and Focus

Boosting Energy During the Workday

Uninterrupted periods of desk work can cause you to feel tired, especially in the afternoon. Feeling tired, staring at a computer screen does not seem like the most efficient way to regain your alertness. A movement break can give you an opportunity to take a break from what you are doing physically and mentally.

Going for a walk, standing up, and making a few moves can make you feel more energized compared to sitting. This can be useful especially if you have an afternoon slump and cannot focus on your tasks. Rather than immediately drinking another cup of coffee or forcing yourself through being tired, you can use movement breaks to recharge.

Refreshing Your Mental Focus

It becomes harder to concentrate on your activity when you engage in the same task for too long. Regardless of how motivated you might be, prolonged screen exposure and constant work can lead to mental exhaustion. A short exercise break provides you with an opportunity to temporarily detach yourself from the immediate pressure of your task before getting back with renewed focus.

For instance, after several hours of hard work on your detailed report, taking a brief walk will give you a good break. After you get back to your desk, it will be easier for you to refocus your mind on your work again. So movement breaks should be understood not only as moments of rest from work but also as pauses that allow you to manage your focus during the day.

Reducing Physical Stiffness

Staying in a seated position for extended periods of time can cause stiffness, especially in the neck, shoulders, back, hips, and legs. Staying in one fixed position for an extended period of time will also make you feel physically restrained once you get up after all the time that has passed.

Moving around at frequent intervals is helpful because you will be able to move areas of your body which have been kept stagnant for a prolonged period of time.

Simple Movement Breaks to Try at Work

Take a Short Walk

One of the simplest exercises for incorporating movement into your work schedule is walking. There is no requirement for any particular place or equipment for doing this kind of exercise. Just walk around your workplace, go for a short walk outdoors, or even do some walking around the house if you are working from home.

You may also incorporate walking between two tasks. For instance, after completing a task, you could spend a few minutes taking a walk before moving to the next task. Walking can also help in cases where you are stuck solving something. Instead of staying seated and looking at the same thing again and again, you can take a little walk and come back.

Just Get Out of Your Chair

Your break does not have to involve walking. You can get out of your chair, move your body, stand up to make a phone call, walk to your colleague's desk, go to get some more water or move for a little bit before going back to work at your computer.

The key is not to spend the whole day in the same position. Opportunities to stand up and move do exist throughout the day and are especially useful when used together with your current tasks.

Do Some Desk Stretches

Sometimes, all you need is to do some small stretching movements. Simple shoulder rolls, arm and neck stretches can loosen those body parts that often get tense when you sit at your desk and work.

Stretching at work should be comfortable for you. Your goal is to move your body gently, not put yourself under unnecessary strain. Do not continue if the exercise hurts.

Move Your Legs

Regular movements can also be incorporated into your lower limbs if you spend most of your work hours in a seated position. You can try standing, moving, doing easy leg raises, or just stretching your legs to interrupt the time you are seated.

Leg movements can be especially helpful if your job requires you to sit down for an extended period of time. Rather than waiting until your legs become stiff or numb, you can stand and move during natural breaks in your workday.

Walking During Appropriate Calls

There are some phone calls or video conferences that allow you to stand or even walk during the call. If you don't have to write down something, read anything on the screen, or listen to a presentation, try walking.

Walking during appropriate calls can make such a sedentary activity into a physical one. However, you shouldn't walk when it makes your participation in the conference less effective.

How to Fit Movement Breaks Into Your Workday

The simplest way to keep your movement breaks consistent is by linking them to other things you do at work already. Rather than waiting for totally free time, find a natural shift point where you can take a break. You could stand up after sending an email, walk after a meeting, stretch before beginning something new, or move during an appropriate phone call.

Reminders could also help if you often lose track of time when you're working. A calendar notification, phone reminder, or computer alert can cue you to stand up and get moving after several hours have passed with no significant changes in your posture. Ultimately, reminders can help make breaks a more consistent part of your day.

It's good to react to indicators that your level of energy or focus is waning. You might be rereading a sentence repeatedly, losing your focus, feeling unexpectedly tired, or being stiff. All of those could be good opportunities to take a movement break. This is another way of thinking about breaks as a chance to refocus and not simply lost productivity.

A Simple Movement Break Routine for the Workday

One can start the day with a short session of stretching after getting comfortable at work. This can be helpful to get out of the sitting position before spending another period sitting at one's desk. In the morning, one can also go for a short walk and stand for a couple of minutes without being constantly in a seated position.

In the afternoon after having lunch, one may also consider going on a short walk before resuming work. In addition, it will act as a good start to the afternoon and give a chance to move before spending another period of time sitting at the desk. In the afternoon, when one experiences a lack of energy and concentration, another short walk or stretching session will come in handy.

Finally, as the workday is about to end, one can also have a short movement session to break the final period of sitting. If one works at home, this can involve a short walk around one's home before wrapping up one's working day.

Conclusion

Movement breaks are an easy and effective approach to add some physical activity to your desk work routine. There is no need for a gym, special equipment, or even spending much time on them. Taking a walk, doing some stretching exercises, standing up, or just changing positions can help you interrupt sitting and get some rest from constant work.

Moreover, regular movement can help you add energy to your working environment by providing an opportunity to restore yourself if you feel physically tight, mentally exhausted, or less concentrated. Instead of postponing your activity to the end of the workday, try to integrate it into your daily work schedule.

Take several movement breaks and choose those which will fit best into your work routine. A little bit of activity done on a regular basis can help you make your workday more active and comfortable.

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