Your month, at a glance
A calendar shows how long you stood each day, so you can spot the slumps and the streaks. Free keeps the last 7 days; Pro keeps everything.
Stand-up & break reminder for Mac
The stand-up reminder that lives in your menu bar.
Break in Motion tells you when to stand up, how long to stay on your feet, and when to sit back down. Start with 5 minutes an hour and level up as the habit sticks.
- Free download
- No account
- macOS 15.2+
XcodeFileEditView
19:45Tue 9:41
Daily count5/6
Current level7
Sitting time remaining
19m 45s
Achievements
Settings
Break in Motion
↑ Live demo — press “Stand Up Now”
What is Break in Motion?
A tiny Mac app that breaks up long sitting sessions. It runs a sit/stand cycle from your menu bar, nudges you with a notification at each switch, and slowly grows your standing time from 5 to 55 minutes an hour.
- Platform
- macOS 15.2+ · Apple silicon & Intel
- Price
- Free · Pro $4.99/yr or $19.99 once
- Your data
- On your Mac + your iCloud. No account.
How it works
Sit. Stand. Repeat. Get a little better each week.
- 01
Pick your level
Each level is a 60-minute cycle. Level 1 is 55 minutes sitting and 5 standing — an easy start for anyone.
- 02
Follow the nudges
A quiet notification tells you when to stand and when to sit. The countdown is always visible in your menu bar.
- 03
Level up automatically
Hit 5 stands a day for 5 days and the app adds 5 more minutes of standing. Your streak and history keep you honest.
11 levels, from first stand to standing desk pro.
Try it · drag the level
1 cycle = 60 min
1/ 11
1234567891011
55 min sit
Sitting per hour
55min
Standing per hour
5min
Standing in an 8-hour day
0.7h
To level up
5days with 5+ stands
See all levels as a table
| Level | Sitting / hour | Standing / hour | Standing in an 8-hour day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 55 min | 5 min | 0.7 h |
| Level 2 | 50 min | 10 min | 1.3 h |
| Level 3 | 45 min | 15 min | 2 h |
| Level 4 | 40 min | 20 min | 2.7 h |
| Level 5 | 35 min | 25 min | 3.3 h |
| Level 6 | 30 min | 30 min | 4 h |
| Level 7 | 25 min | 35 min | 4.7 h |
| Level 8 | 20 min | 40 min | 5.3 h |
| Level 9 | 15 min | 45 min | 6 h |
| Level 10 | 10 min | 50 min | 6.7 h |
| Level 11 | 5 min | 55 min | 7.3 h |
The science, briefly
How often should you stand up from your desk?
At least every 30 to 60 minutes. Short, frequent breaks beat one long one. Research points to a few minutes of standing or light movement every half hour, building up to around two hours of standing and light activity across a workday.
5 min
every 30 min
Light walking every half hour was the only routine that significantly lowered both blood sugar and blood pressure during 8 hours of sitting.
58%
smaller sugar spikes
The same 5-every-30 routine cut post-meal blood-sugar spikes by 58% compared with sitting all day.
2 → 4 h
per workday
An international expert panel recommends office workers build up to 2 hours of standing and light activity a day, then 4.
The WHO also advises adults to limit sedentary time and replace it with activity of any intensity. Break in Motion gives you the structure to do it — Level 1 starts at 5 minutes per hour. It is a habit tool, not a medical device; talk to a professional about pain or health conditions.
Features
Everything you need. Nothing you’ll have to manage.
Lives in the menu bar
No dock icon, no window to lose. One click shows your count, level and countdown.
10 achievements
Little wins that make the habit stick.
- First Step
- Stretch It Out
- On Your Feet
- Half-Century
- Century Club
- Week Warrior
- Consistency King
- Milestone Master
- Stand Legend
- Ultimate Stander
Syncs with iCloud
Start on your MacBook, continue on your iMac. History, streak and achievements follow your Apple Account.
Gentle nudges
Native macOS notifications. No full-screen takeovers.
Pause anytime
In a meeting? Pause, or stand up early with one click.
Light & dark
Follows your system appearance automatically.
Private by design
No account. No tracking. Nothing to sign up for.
No login, ever
Install and go. Your Apple Account is your identity.
Your data stays yours
Stored on your Mac and in your private iCloud. We can’t see it.
No analytics in the app
No ads, no trackers, no third-party SDKs.
Compared
Break in Motion vs. the Apple Watch stand reminder
The Watch asks you to stand for a minute each hour. Break in Motion runs the whole sit/stand rhythm for desk work — and keeps raising the bar.
| Feature | Break in Motion | Apple Watch Stand | Generic timer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works on your Mac, no extra device | Yes | Needs Apple Watch | Yes |
| Tells you when to stand and when to sit back down | Yes | No | Manual |
| Standing time that grows with you | 5 → 55 min/h | 1 min/h | No |
| Daily goal, streaks & achievements | Yes | Yes | No |
| Calendar of sitting vs standing time | Yes | Stand hours only | No |
From people who stand more now
“I've finally stopped sitting for 3 hours straight. The gentle reminders fit perfectly into my workflow.”
“The progress tracking is addictive in the best way. I actually look forward to my movement breaks now.”
“Simple, beautiful, and effective. It's become an essential part of my daily routine.”
Pricing
Free to start. Pro if you want the full picture.
Free
Everything you need to start moving.
$0forever
- Menu bar sit/stand timer
- All 11 levels
- Daily goal & streaks
- Last 7 days of history
- First achievements
- iCloud sync
Free trial
Pro Yearly
Starts with a free trial. Cancel anytime in the App Store.
$4.99per year
- Everything in Free
- Unlimited history
- All 10 achievements
- Free trial included
Pro Lifetime
Pay once, keep Pro forever. No subscription.
$19.99one-time
- Everything in Free
- Unlimited history
- All 10 achievements
- No subscription, ever
Download free and upgrade inside the app. Prices in USD; the App Store shows your local price. Purchases and refunds are handled by Apple.
What is Break in Motion?
Break in Motion is a stand-up and break reminder app for Mac. It lives in the menu bar, times your sitting and standing periods, and nudges you with a notification when it is time to stand up or sit back down. It tracks your daily goal, streak, history and achievements, and syncs through iCloud.
How often should you stand up from your desk?
Most guidance says to break up sitting at least every 30 to 60 minutes. A 2023 Columbia University study found that 5 minutes of light walking every 30 minutes offset much of the blood-sugar and blood-pressure impact of prolonged sitting, and a 2015 expert statement in the British Journal of Sports Medicine recommends building up to 2 hours of standing or light activity per workday. Break in Motion starts at 5 minutes of standing per hour (Level 1) and lets you progress gradually.
How do the levels work?
Each hour-long cycle is split between sitting and standing. Level 1 is 55 minutes sitting and 5 minutes standing; every level adds 5 minutes of standing, up to Level 11 (5 minutes sitting, 55 standing). After 5 days with at least 5 stands, the app moves you up a level automatically. You can also pick any level yourself.
Is Break in Motion free?
Yes. The download is free and includes the menu bar timer, all levels, your daily goal, streaks, the last 7 days of history and the first achievements. Pro adds unlimited history and all achievements, either as Pro Yearly ($4.99/year with a free trial) or Pro Lifetime ($19.99 once). Prices are in USD; the App Store shows your local price.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no sign-up and no login. Your data is stored on your Mac and in your private iCloud account, and purchases are handled by the Mac App Store.
Does it sync between Macs?
Yes. History, settings, streak and achievements sync automatically through iCloud to every Mac signed in to the same Apple Account.
Which Macs are supported?
Break in Motion requires macOS 15.2 (Sequoia) or later and runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
How is it different from the Apple Watch stand reminder?
The Apple Watch reminds you to stand for one minute if you have not moved by 10 minutes before the hour. Break in Motion runs a full sit/stand cycle on your Mac — it tells you when to stand, how long to stay up, and when to sit back down — and progressively increases your standing time. It is built for people working at a desk or standing desk, and it does not need a watch.
Does it collect my data?
No. The app has no analytics, no ads and no accounts. Notifications are generated locally on your Mac, and your activity lives in your own iCloud, which we cannot access.
Your next break starts in 55 minutes.
Free on the Mac App Store. No account. Set up in ten seconds.