In today's digital age, most of us spend most of our time sitting in front of a computer or staring at our phones. Unfortunately, this sedentary lifestyle can lead to numerous health problems, including obesity, heart disease, and depression. One way to combat this is by incorporating movement into our daily routines, and there are plenty of free apps available that can remind us to do just that. Here are some of the best free apps for different platforms that remind you to move regularly.
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Standland (iOS only): Standland is a free app that reminds you to stand up and move around regularly throughout the day. In Standland, adorable creatures encourage you to stand up more! If you stand, they stand. If you don't, they fall asleep. You can unlock new creatures by achieving goals! You can set the interval time yourself, and the app will notify you when it's time to stand up and stretch your legs. The app also tracks your progress and rewards you for meeting your goals.
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Stand Up! The Work Break Timer (iOS only): Stand Up - The Work Break Timer is a free app available for iOS devices. This app reminds users to take regular breaks and stand up during their workday to promote better health and prevent the adverse effects of prolonged sitting. Users can customize their break schedules and receive notifications when it's time to take a break or stand up. The app also includes the option to track progress and monitor how much time is spent sitting versus standing throughout the day.
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Intermission - Breaks For Eyes (MacOS, iOS): Intermission is an app that reminds you to take a break from looking at your screen to reduce eye strain and improve your overall health. It allows you to schedule breaks at intervals you choose, and during each break, the app provides guided exercises and stretches for your eyes and body. Intermission also provides background sounds and calming visuals to help you relax and recharge during breaks. It's a free app with optional in-app purchases for additional features.
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StretchMinder (Android , iOS): Stand Up Break: StretchMinder is an app that aims to improve focus, ease pain, boost energy, and relieve stress through targeted routines that save the body from bad posture and inactivity. It offers bite-sized breaks with a flexible timer that seamlessly fits into your daily workflow. StretchMinder helps users tackle work and posture-related pains with habit-building techniques and science-based exercises. The app includes three essential break modes, including move, walk, and breathe, which aim to prep your mind, muscle, and heart for the next challenge.
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Randomly RemindMe (Android): The app is a customizable reminder app that offers reminders for various activities such as drinking water, taking a break from the computer, exercising, and motivational quotes. It provides options to customize reminders extensively and also offers specific timing or interval timing. The app allows users to set reminders based on location and provides backup and restore options. With click vs. dismiss notification tracking, users can track their reminders and view the summary page for statistics that are tracked on a per-day and lifetime basis. Additionally, users can export their data as a .csv file for further analysis.
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Stretchly (MacOS, Windows, Linux): Stretchly is a free and open-source cross-platform app that reminds computer users to take breaks from prolonged sitting and work-related activities. It offers various customizable features like break intervals, duration, and break types (micro, short, or long breaks) to help users develop a healthy routine that prevents eye strain, back pain, and repetitive strain injury. Stretchly also has options for setting reminders based on working hours, configuring the notification style, and enabling sounds or micro-exercises during breaks. Additionally, it provides statistics and charts to track users' progress and motivate them to stay consistent in taking breaks.
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Big Stretch Reminder (Windows): Similar to Stretchly, Big Stretch Reminder is a free tool designed to remind users to take regular breaks and prevent the symptoms of RSI. The app offers various features such as setting the time between breaks, choosing between predefined or customized messages, and selecting the reminder style such as notification, popup, micro-break, or Taskbar flash. Users can also pick the level of intrusiveness and sound for their reminder, and the app will increase reminders automatically to suit their work rate. Developed by Matt Lester, Big Stretch Reminder is a simple but effective way to incorporate regular breaks into your workday.
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Workrave (Windows, Linux): Workrave is a free, open-source program designed to help users prevent repetitive strain injuries (RSI) by reminding them to take breaks and stretch regularly. The app offers customizable micro-break and rest break timers, exercises, and tips for reducing the risk of RSI. Workrave also tracks and reports user's computer usage and break patterns. It is available for Windows and Linux operating systems.
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Time Out (MacOS): Timeout is a free macOS app that reminds you to take regular breaks from your computer work, helping you prevent eye strain, headaches, and other health problems. The app displays customizable break reminders on your screen, prompting you to pause and stretch, walk around, or just rest your eyes. You can choose the duration and frequency of the breaks and the type of activity you want to do during each break. Timeout also offers micro-breaks, which are short pauses that occur every few minutes to help prevent repetitive strain injury. The app can be customized to your preferences and can even be scheduled to only work during certain hours.
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PostureMinder (Chrome Browser Extension): PostureMinder is a Google Chrome extension that helps users improve their posture and reduce their risk of developing neck and back pain. It provides reminders to sit up straight and take breaks from sitting, as well as offering customizable settings for frequency and duration of breaks. The extension also provides information on proper posture and exercises to help users maintain healthy habits.
Incorporating movement into your daily routine is essential for
maintaining good health; these apps can help you stay on track.
Regular reminders to take breaks, stretch, and move around will
make you feel better, be more productive, and have more energy
throughout the day.
Looking for more free fitness apps? Check out our list
of top free fitness apps.
