Still sitting? We need to talk.

Has this ever happened to you? You read or watch something that makes you think, and then that thought is stuck. No matter how hard you try to move past it, it stays at the forefront of your mind until you do something about it. That was us two months ago.

What stuck with us was a TED Talk titled Sitting All Day Is Killing You—Here’s What to Do About It by Manoush Zomorodi from November of last year. She said our health was in danger and encouraged us to take regular movement breaks because, among other things, they can boost your physical health, reduce chronic disease risk, improve mental focus & productivity, and even enhance your mood and energy levels. (Also, did you know that when you sit, your arteries bend at your hips and knees, and your diaphragm is compressed? That means blood pools in your legs and your breathing becomes shallow. Fascinating, right? We highly recommend watching the video.)

We shared our challenge with our team of writers and artists, encouraging them to join us if they’d like. The goal was simple: For every hour you sit still, get up and move for five minutes however you like, as often as you can. We encouraged dancing, taking a walk, going up and down the stairs—whatever they wanted as long as they were moving their bodies. Here are a few of the comments we received:

“Who knew that five-minute breaks could be so refreshing! Not only did it bring some much-needed fresh air and sunshine into my day, but it also worked wonders for my creativity.”

“I was more conscious of the need to get up and move since you had given us the prompt and, in effect, permission. It helped to get up, ‘shake it off,’ or walk around and stretch.”

“It’s amazing how those moments of zen—watching the birds at the feeder and listening to the soothing chime sounds when the wind blows—were a mood booster.”

“I fell off my bike a month ago—hard. Everything has healed except for an injury to my left foot. I needed your challenge because if I sit too long, it becomes difficult for me to walk due to the injury.”

As for us, Gia found a new hobby: exploring 5-minute dance break videos on YouTube, which give her the opportunity to laugh at herself on the regular. Justin has enlisted Gemini as his personal trainer & health coach, encouraging him to lift weights and providing advice on how to work off the calories after a trip to King Kone. One of us has fewer aches and pains, while the other has lost some weight. And we both plan to continue our challenge because, overall, we feel better.

And now, we’d like to encourage you to do the same for at least one month. Just get up and move for five minutes every hour, however you want and as often as you can.