Many of us spend much of the day sitting, whether it's at a desk, in a car or in front of a screen. Prolonged sitting has been linked to a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

Luckily, a large new study suggests that the simple habit of getting up and moving for just five minutes each hour, can help offset some of these risks.

The research showed that brief hourly movement breaks improved mood, reduced fatigue and did not interfere with work performance. Among the schedules tested, a five-minute walking break every 60 minutes appeared to offer the best combination of effectiveness and practicality.

Health improvements don't always require major lifestyle changes. Sometimes a short walk around the office or home may be enough to make the day feel a little better.

To conduct the study, researchers led by Keith Diaz, PhD, Florence Irving Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, analyzed data from over 19,000 adults participating in the “Body Electric Challenge,” an interactive health initiative organized by National Public Radio (NPR) in the United States. Participants represented a broad range of ages, occupations and work environments.

The study was designed to examine whether movement breaks that have shown promise in laboratory settings could work in everyday life. Before beginning the intervention, participants followed their normal routines for seven days. Then they spent the next 14 days taking 5-minute walking breaks at one of three self-selected intervals: every 30 minutes, every 60 minutes or every 120 minutes.

Nearly half of the participants selected the hourly schedule. About one-third chose breaks every 30 minutes, while just over one-fifth opted for breaks every two hours. Researchers monitored participants throughout the 21-day study period. Most completed a daily survey at 8 p.m. that assessed fatigue, mood and perceived work performance.

A randomly-selected subgroup of 1,200 full-time employees provided even more detailed information. These participants completed five text-message surveys each day — at 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. This allowed investigators to track the immediate effects of movement break as they occurred.

The research team also wanted to know whether the approach was realistic enough to be adopted widely. Using standardized measures of feasibility, acceptability and appropriateness, they found that participants rated all three schedules positively.

When the results were analyzed, the investigators noted improvements across all groups. Participants taking exercise breaks reported less fatigue, fewer feelings of low mood and higher levels of positive mood. In general, the benefits increased as movement breaks became more frequent.

The 30-minute schedule, for instance, produced the largest improvement in mood and fatigue, though participants found it more difficult to maintain consistently. The two-hour schedule was easier to follow but produced more modest benefits.

Taking a five-minute walking break every hour appeared to offer the best combination of effectiveness and practicality.

That left the hourly schedule as the most balanced option. As Diaz and his colleagues wrote, “The 60-minute arm offered the most favorable balance, yielding acceptability and appropriateness rating comparable to the 120-minute arm, and exceeding MID thresholds for two of three psychosocial outcomes. In addition, it was the most commonly selected dose, selected by nearly half of the participants.”

The study also addressed a common concern among employers, that frequent movement might reduce productivity. Instead, participants reported small improvements in both work engagement and performance as the researchers noted that though there have been concerns that taking a movement break might interfere with work productivity, “our findings counter this perception.”

For those of us who struggle to find time for formal exercise, the findings offer an encouraging reminder that health improvements don't always require major lifestyle changes. Sometimes a short walk around the office or home may be enough to make the day feel a little better.

The study is published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.