Regular exercise is important, but a morning workout may not completely counteract the effects of sitting uninterrupted for the rest of the day. Research suggests that brief, frequent movement breaks can help the body manage blood sugar, insulin and circulation—without requiring another full workout.

In one study published in Diabetes Care, overweight and obese adults interrupted prolonged sitting every 20 minutes with two minutes of either light- or moderate-intensity walking. Both types of movement reduced the rise in blood glucose and insulin following meals compared with uninterrupted sitting. Other research involving adults with Type 2 diabetes found benefits from periodically performing light walking or simple resistance movements.

These “movement snacks” can be surprisingly manageable. Walk while taking a phone call, climb a flight of stairs, refill a water bottle, perform several chair squats or stretch between tasks. Setting a reminder to move for two to five minutes every 30 to 60 minutes may help prevent hours from disappearing into a desk chair.

Movement breaks don’t replace recommended exercise, but they offer a practical way to make sedentary days healthier. The goal is not to turn every break into a fitness session. It’s simply to remind the body that it was built to move.