Back breaks
Short walking breaks, often, help a back that sits all day. Rusle reminds you, but only when you have actually been still.
This is not medical advice. If you are in pain, talk to a doctor or a physiotherapist.
How it works
- You choose how often, and between which hours, for example every 45 minutes from 8 to 17 on weekdays.
- Rusle looks at your steps first. If you walked in the last minutes, there is no nudge.
- Never more often than you chose, and never outside your hours.
- The nudge is an ordinary iPhone notification, so it also reaches a Garmin watch through Garmin Connect.
The research
Short walks, often
Five minutes of walking every half hour worked best for blood sugar and blood pressure. Breaks only every hour did little.
Read the studyBreaks and back pain
In office workers, back pain is linked more to long stretches without a break than to how much they sit. Active breaks where you change position bring relief.
Read the studyWalking keeps the back well
Regular walking that slowly increased almost doubled the time before a new bout of low back pain: 208 days against 112.
Read the studyNudges that don’t nag
People follow a suggestion best when they really have sat still, and stop reacting when it comes too often. That is why Rusle checks your steps first.
Read the studyOn a Garmin watch
Allow notifications from Rusle, and turn on app notifications in Garmin Connect. The nudge then buzzes on your wrist, with or without Rusle for Garmin.