Companion tool for Breaking Up Long Sitting: What the Evidence Supports · Works offline · No account

Workday Break Planner

Lay out a typical workday, mark meetings and focus blocks, and place a few realistic break points, with interval options presented as choices rather than prescriptions.

Plan your workday breaks

Workday starts

Workday ends

Break roughly every

Break length (1 to 10 minutes)

Meetings and fixed blocks (breaks move to just after these)

Your break plan

Break times

Share card (optional)

Made on this device, and only when you ask. Nothing is uploaded or posted for you. Choose what it shows. The article link and the PubMed IDs are always included.

My plan line Details I typed (smallest version, obstacle, fallback, block names) Article title "Made with CortexLit" footer (removable with Plus)

Preview: exactly what will be shared

Free: one share image per card. Plus: unlimited.

Saved day templates (optional, this browser only)

Off unless you use it. Templates are kept in this browser's storage, which isn't encrypted. Nothing is sent anywhere. Free: 1 template. Plus: up to 10.

How the times are worked out

Starting at the beginning of your day, the planner adds a break after each interval of desk time. If a break would land inside a meeting, it moves to right after the meeting ends. After each break, the count starts again. It's arithmetic on your schedule only and doesn't estimate any health measure. Interval choices mirror study protocols; breaks every 30 minutes or more often had slightly larger effects on blood sugar in lab studies, but the evidence is low certainty (PMID 39630056).

Why this tool, and its limits

Every output from this tool cites its evidence: PMID 39630056; PMID 31552570; PMID 22374636; PMID 30556590 (Cochrane CD010912.pub5). You can read the plain-language evidence cards in the article.

Yin M, Xu K, Deng J, et al. Optimal Frequency of Interrupting Prolonged Sitting for Cardiometabolic Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Crossover Trials. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2024;34(12):e14769. doi:10.1111/sms.14769. PMID: 39630056. PubMed (needs internet)
Loh R, Stamatakis E, Folkerts D, et al. Effects of Interrupting Prolonged Sitting with Physical Activity Breaks on Blood Glucose, Insulin and Triacylglycerol Measures: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2020;50(2):295-330. doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01183-w. PMID: 31552570. PubMed (needs internet)
Dunstan DW, Kingwell BA, Larsen R, et al. Breaking up prolonged sitting reduces postprandial glucose and insulin responses. Diabetes Care. 2012;35(5):976-83. doi:10.2337/dc11-1931. PMID: 22374636. PubMed (needs internet)
Shrestha N, Kukkonen-Harjula KT, Verbeek JH, et al. Workplace interventions for reducing sitting at work. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;12(12):CD010912. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010912.pub5. PMID: 30556590. PubMed (needs internet)

Cautions

Any movement counts. Start with the smallest break that feels easy, like standing up or refilling water. There's no need to push intensity.
Swapping all-day sitting for all-day standing isn't the goal. Alternate, and sit back down if standing gets uncomfortable.
If you drive or do safety-critical work, take breaks only when it's safe to stop.
Breaks aren't a substitute for the weekly activity guidelines. They're one small piece.
Reminders are optional. If constant prompts make you anxious or break your focus, pick a task-based cue instead of a timer.

Talk to a professional if…

Chest pain or pressure, fainting, unusual shortness of breath, or a racing or irregular heartbeat when you move: stop and get urgent care.
Pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in one leg, especially after a long stretch of sitting or travel: get medical care promptly.
Back, neck, or joint pain that lasts more than a few weeks, gets worse, or comes with numbness or weakness.
You have a health condition, take medicines that affect heart rate or balance, or have been told to limit activity: check with a clinician first.

This is a planning tool, not medical advice. It doesn't measure, predict, or score your health.

Plus (optional)

The free version does the whole job. Plus adds room and convenience:

more saved day templates (up to 10)
more blocks per day (up to 16)
calendar (.ics) export of break points
share card without the 'Made with CortexLit' footer

Price: $5 one-time for this tool, or $8 for both CortexLit sitting tools. No subscription. (Introductory prices we're still testing.)

What stays free forever: Building, printing, and exporting your plan, plus every source and caution, stays free.

Buy Plus for this tool, $5 Buy Plus for both tools, $8

Checkout: secure payment through Stripe (opens stripe.com). One-time payment, no subscription. Your Plus code is shown on the confirmation page after you pay, so keep a copy. Refunds: written refund terms aren't posted yet; for questions or a refund, reply to your Stripe receipt.

Have a Plus code?

Honest note: codes are checked on your device, so a determined person could get around the check. That's acceptable because Plus only adds convenience. Every source, caution, and the full plan stay free.