A walking challenge to start 2026 on your feet — and off your screens : NPR
Like many of you, one of my New Year’s resolutions will be to take better care of my body… again. I don’t know how many times this goal has been on my resolutions list – not because I fail every time, but because it’s an ongoing process that I have to re-engage in again and again.
So this year, will you take the Electric body challenge with me, maybe for the first or second time?
Our mission? For two weeks, take a five-minute break every 30 minutes.
The Science Behind Five-Minute Movement Breaks
In January 2023, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center found that walking for five minutes every 30 minutes was the most effective strategy for mitigating the harms of prolonged sitting. These short, spread out movement breaks improved participants’ mood and concentration, while lowering their glucose levels and blood pressure.
OUR Electric body The series allowed thousands of listeners to test this five-minute movement strategy, and they reported higher productivity and less fatigue. In my next book, I’ll dig deeper into the data that 20,000 of you contributed to determine exactly how you made these strategies work outside of the lab.
Five minutes of movement sounds simple, but it’s not easy. There’s a reason this requires some commitment and recommitment. These tips will help you get started and stick with it.
Step 1: Set a clear and realistic movement goal
Breaks in movement fall by the wayside when our calendars fill up. So make moving a priority by fitting it into your schedule.
Five minutes every 30 minutes is ideal, but if that’s not realistic for you, aim for every hour or two.
Step 2: Track your progress and celebrate your success, even if it’s imperfect
We created this document to help you track your breaks, but you can write down your movements in a journal, on sticky notes, or any other way that motivates you.
Keeping track of your movement breaks isn’t about completing the challenge perfectly. We recommend tracking your breaks, as this will help you check how movement affects your mood and energy levels. Remember: any amount of movement is better than none! So be proud of yourself for trying, even on your slowest days.
Step 3: Pace yourself
Slowly and steadily he wins the race. It may seem counterintuitive to break your movements into smaller chunks, instead of taking all your steps at once. But studies show that longer workouts can’t offset the harms of prolonged sitting as effectively as short bursts of movement throughout the day.
Step 4: When you’re bored, shake up your movement breaks
There is no need to march in place or go through the same loop over and over with every movement break.
Be creative! We’ve received letters from people who turned their five-minute break into a solo dance party. Our guest Kelly Corrigan says she likes to use her five minutes of movement to spruce up her workspace and complete a quick chore.
And if standing isn’t an option, check out these chair exercises.
Step 5: Accept the Good, the Bad and the Embarrassing of Movement Pauses
Sometimes you’ll be in the mood to get up and move, and sometimes YOU WON’T.
But this challenge is about taking care of your body even when it’s inconvenient or inconvenient.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: If you have any tips for overcoming the (slightly embarrassing) challenge of movement breaks in public spaces, we’d love to hear from you! Send us a video or email BodyElectric@npr.org.
If you feel awkward taking a break with your colleagues, invite them to join you! Once you explain the benefits of movement, you may be able to get a group together. This brings us to step 6…
Step 6: Find an accountability partner
Movement is more fun with others! And accountability buddies can help you stick to your goals. You don’t even have to be together in person. Send photos of your movement break to a long-distance friend and ask that friend to send you some too, so you can inspire each other!
Need to recruit a responsible buddy? Send this article to a friend and see if they will accept your challenge.
Tell us how it goes!
Send us a video of yourself or email us at BodyElectric@npr.org to tell us about your movement breaks! Share your thoughts on how to keep moving.
Subscribe to our Electric body newsletter, or share it with a friend.
Read more details about the results of our research study with Columbia University Medical Center here.
I didn’t hear the Electric body series? Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or the NPR app.
This story was written by Manoush Zomorodi and Fiona Geiran and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour.
