32% of working people in the Netherlands sit still for more than 8.5 hours a day (Dutch-language source), compared with an EU average of 11%. That makes the Netherlands the “European champion of sitting” – including at the home workstation.
However bad your posture is, as long as you move regularly you probably won’t develop serious complaints. The most expensive desk or office chair won’t save you if you stare motionlessly at your screen for eight hours a day.
That’s reason enough to break the pattern – although “just get up more often during your working-from-home day” is easier said than done. We all know how it goes: good intentions quickly disappear when deadlines get closer. So here’s a list of practical, subtly forceful and (if all else fails) annoying ways to make yourself take breaks. Discipline is overrated…
Why moving during work is so important
Sitting for long periods isn’t just uncomfortable for your back. The TNO research mentioned above shows that people who sit for more than 8 hours a day have a 27% higher risk of early death than people who sit for less than 4 hours. People who sit a lot and move little have a 74% higher risk of cardiovascular disease. The World Health Organization is clear about it: every bit of movement counts, even if you don’t do much exercise otherwise.
Especially if you regularly work from home, it’s important to think about how you can build movement into your day.
How much should you move during a working day?
There’s no legal standard. The Dutch Working Conditions Act doesn’t set a hard limit on sitting (Dutch-language source), but employers are expected to limit the risks. Researchers do use a practical rule of thumb: stand up or walk around briefly every 20 to 30 minutes. The effect on your circulation is measurable, even if you sit for the rest of the day.
Separately, the Dutch Physical Activity Guidelines from the Health Council of the Netherlands recommend at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity activity a week. You need both: regularly changing position and getting enough moderate-to-intense exercise. One doesn’t replace the other (see also the FAQ below).
11 tips to move more when working from home
1. Don’t have your groceries delivered
Having your groceries delivered is very efficient, but if it means you then have to go to the gym or take an extra walk to get your steps in, it doesn’t add much. Especially if you have a supermarket within walking or cycling distance.
Most people feel good about doing something “useful” while they move – and it also saves you delivery costs, and possibly a trip for the delivery driver.
2. Use a printer / toilet / coffee machine that’s further away
Nothing motivates you to move like knowing you can only collect your document or cup of coffee after a small expedition. If you have a toilet on another floor, always use that one! And put your bin out of reach – including throwing range.
3. Drink (an absurd amount of) water
Staying hydrated is healthy. But more importantly, it forces you to walk to the loo. Free movement, guaranteed.
4. Use a timer app that locks your screen
Use a free break reminder app like Stretchly that actually blocks your screen. Out of sheer frustration, you’ll end up getting up and doing something.
5. Don’t eat lunch at your desk
Make a ritual of your lunch. Walk around the block, sit somewhere else – and don’t work while you’re having lunch.
6. Set a physical kitchen timer
Not an app, but an old-fashioned ticking timer that rings after 25 minutes. If you do this at the office, your colleagues will hate you – but you will get up every half hour.
7. Arrange to make calls while walking
Not every conversation needs to happen on Teams. Plenty of meetings work perfectly well on the move. Or standing up!
8. Train your conscience: share your step count with a colleague
Peer pressure works better than willpower. Share your daily steps via an app or in a shared document. Nobody wants to be the department’s only 400-step loser.
9. Stick a Post-it on your screen with one simple question
“Have you moved yet today?” Sounds silly. But an irritating yellow note in your line of sight works wonders.
10. Make agreements with your partner / colleague
Agree with someone that they’ll remind you to move. That could be a colleague, but also your housemate, child or partner.
11. Work in different places
If you have different places to work at home or in the office (for example, standing and sitting), regularly switch posture or location. That encourages natural breaks.
Schedule your meetings in different meeting rooms so you have to walk between them. It also helps to sit in a different spot in the meeting room each time, so you’re turned a different way. Sitting badly in several postures is better than sitting badly in just one ;).
That’s a lot of tips – hopefully a few of them appeal to you! Do leave your own original tips in the comments.
Bonus tip: do simple stretching exercises at your desk
Rolling your shoulders, stretching your back or loosening up your legs a few times a day only takes a few minutes and makes a big difference in the long run. Make sure you do this at least once a day!
Bonus tip 2: use a break reminder app
Can’t manage to move enough in a “natural” way? Then you could consider using software. In this article you’ll find tips for well-tested break reminder apps.
Frequently asked questions about moving during the working day
Every 20 to 30 minutes, according to research by TNO. A few minutes of walking or standing is enough to break the effect of prolonged sitting.
Only if you do more than an hour of intensive exercise every day. Most people don’t manage that. Moving briefly but regularly is a more realistic solution.
That’s entirely up to you. Often it is (no colleagues to walk over to, no walk to the station, etc.). But working from home also gives you the chance to do a quick household chore in between
Yes. You’re responsible for moving enough yourself, but employers have a duty of care to limit health risks, so they have to make it possible. See The Working Conditions Act and Working From Home: What Does It Mean for Employers? for the details.