How the sit-stand timer works
What the research actually supports
Three findings survive replication: (1) uninterrupted sitting is the risk — breaking it up improves glucose and comfort even when total sitting time barely changes; (2) standing all day creates its own problems (lower-back and leg complaints) — the goal is alternation, not a standing record; (3) microbreaks every ~30 minutes outperform single long exercise breaks. The schedule the calculator builds encodes exactly that: movement frequency over posture purity.
The ratios, honestly
For sit-stand desks, 1–2 standing blocks per hour, 15–30 minutes each (roughly 1:1 to 3:1 sitting:standing across the day) is the evidence-backed zone. Starting from all-sitting? Ramp over two weeks — a sudden 4-hour standing day buys calf aches and a hatred of the desk. Sitting-only workstations substitute 2–3 minute walk breaks every 30 minutes; the movement, not the posture, does the work.
Making it survive week two
- Anchor to events, not clocks alone: stand for calls, sit for focused writing. Habits attached to existing events outlive timer apps.
- Set the two presets once (from the desk height calculator) — a sit-stand desk whose heights must be re-found daily does not get used.
- Keep shoes at the desk for standing blocks; tired feet are the #1 abandonment reason.
- Permit sitting when tired. The schedule serves the body; a forced record is not the goal.