• Posted June 24, 2026

Even 5-Minute Movement Breaks Can Boost Your Mood And Fight Fatigue

Got five minutes?

A new study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, suggests that five minutes of physical activity every hour may be all it takes to boost your mood, reduce fatigue and break up long stretches of unhealthy sitting.

Keith Diaz of the Columbia University Medical Center in New York City and colleagues analyzed data from nearly 11,500 adults taking part in a 21-day movement challenge organized by National Public Radio in the United States.

Participants took five-minute walking breaks every 30, 60 or 120 minutes throughout the day. Then each night, they filled out surveys to assess their mental and physical health, and work performance.

The results: Fatigue and low mood decreased, while good mood increased across all groups. All three schedules also proved practical and easy to fit into the day.

But when researchers compared the different approaches, hourly movement breaks appeared to strike the best balance between feasibility and effectiveness.

Despite concerns that stepping away from work might hurt productivity, the researchers offered some reassurance: "Our findings counter this perception," they said.

The study showed that short movement breaks did not undermine work performance and, in fact, yielded small but favorable changes, on average (4% to 7% for engagement and 1% to 3% for performance).

The authors said these findings demonstrate that "movement breaks are implementable and effective, supporting their potential as a public health strategy."

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on physical activity breaks for the workplace.

SOURCE: HealthDay TV, June 24, 2026