How Brief Breaks from Sitting May Benefit Cognition
- Breaking up long periods of sitting with brief movement may improve certain thinking skills, with the strongest evidence showing benefits for memory and executive function
- Walking and other gentle activities are enough to interrupt prolonged sitting, so supporting your brain throughout the day doesn't require repeated strenuous workouts
- Just four three-minute activity breaks during 80 minutes of sitting helped adolescents maintain the brain's oxygen-rich blood response during a demanding memory task
- Some improvements in working memory, attention and reaction speed persisted for up to 30 minutes after activity ended, suggesting the benefits don't necessarily disappear when you sit back down
- Regular movement breaks complement rather than replace exercise, so aim to interrupt sitting throughout the day while gradually working toward an hour of daily walking and strength training twice a week
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