Take Quick Breaks From Exercise With This Chrome Extension
As much as I love the idea of getting up from the table to exercise a little, I am not good at coping with those intentions. I recently installed a Chrome extension called WFH Wakeup (also available as a Mac app) that makes things easier.
By default, it interrupts you every 55 minutes (although you can change the interval) and prompts you to complete a set of three exercises. The app costs $ 4, but comes with a one-day free trial, so you can use it throughout the day and see if it drives you crazy or worth the commitment.
I’ve tried other apps that also try to get you out of your chair, but WFH Wakeup does its job especially well. You will receive a reminder five minutes before your break and then 30 seconds before. (You can postpone the break when you receive these reminders if you need a minute to finish the task.) There’s also a huge pause button that you can click if you’re heading to a presentation or large meeting.
When the time runs out, you will see a screen similar to the one shown at the top of this message. There is no timer to stop you from getting back to work, just a full screen reminder that you might need to do a few exercises, and they give you three tips. Sometimes it’s upper or lower body exercises, sometimes stretching, sometimes core exercises. You can turn this opportunity into a small version of a real workout , aiming to complete a full daily routine for the day, or you can simply follow the three steps listed, a few repetitions each, and get back to work.