Move It: The Free Chrome Extension That Keeps You Moving at Your Desk

By Jarrod Robinson · March 28, 2026 · 3 min read

Built in 2014 and still used by 10,000+ people, Move It is a free Chrome extension that reminds you to take brain breaks during long computer sessions. We just pushed a fresh update with scheduling, customisation, and smarter notifications.

Back in 2014, we were deep in long days building things online. And we realised something pretty simple: we were sitting way too much.

So we built a small Chrome extension called Move It. The idea was simple — every so often it would interrupt your browsing and remind you to get up and move.

Nothing complicated. Just a quick brain break to stay active during long stretches at the computer.

What surprised us was that people kept using it.

Fast forward to today and 10,000+ people are still using Move It to break up their workday and stay a little more active while working online.

The Problem We All Know (But Ignore)

You sit down at your computer. You tell yourself you'll get up in an hour. Three hours later, you haven't moved.

The research on prolonged sitting is clear — and alarming. Extended sedentary behaviour is linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, back pain, reduced circulation, decreased energy, and lower productivity. The World Health Organisation recommends breaking up sitting time with regular movement, even in small doses.

The problem isn't that we don't know this. The problem is that when you're deep in work, you forget. That's where Move It comes in.

How Move It Works

Move It is deliberately simple. No accounts. No subscriptions. No complexity.

1. Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store (free, takes 5 seconds).
2. Set your interval — how often you want to be reminded to move.
3. Work normally. When the interval elapses, Move It displays a randomly-selected brain break or exercise on your screen.
4. Do the activity (or skip it — no judgement). Click "done" and the next reminder appears after the next interval.

The activities are quick: stretches, squats, breathing exercises, desk push-ups, walking breaks. Each takes 30–60 seconds. Enough to get blood flowing, reset your posture, and re-energise your brain — without derailing your workflow.

What's New in the Latest Update

This week we pushed a fresh update based on the most common feedback we've received over the years. You can now:

• Schedule downtime — Set hours when Move It won't alert you. No more movement prompts during your evening Netflix session or Saturday morning browsing.
• Fine-tune when movement prompts appear — More granular control over notification timing, so it fits your work rhythm rather than interrupting it.
• Keep the habit going without it interrupting evenings or weekends — The extension respects your off-hours while keeping you active during work.

These were the #1, #2, and #3 most requested features. And like the original version — Move It is still 100% free.

Why Brain Breaks Work (The Research)

If you're a PE teacher, you already know this intuitively. But the research confirms it:

• 25 years of research confirms that short, frequent movement breaks improve focus, productivity, and health outcomes.
• Physical activity — even brief bouts — increases blood flow to the brain, stimulating the release of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which supports cognitive function.
• Workers who take regular micro-breaks report less fatigue, lower stress, and higher job satisfaction compared to those who work in long uninterrupted blocks.
• Movement breaks as short as 30–60 seconds can reset attention and reduce the cognitive decline that comes from sustained focus.

Move It doesn't make you an athlete. It makes you a slightly less sedentary computer user — and that small difference compounds over months and years.

Who Uses Move It?

We originally built it for ourselves — educators spending long hours creating online content. But Move It has found users far beyond education:

• Teachers — especially those doing admin, planning, and report writing at their desks
• Remote workers — without the natural movement of a commute or walking between meetings
• Students — studying for long periods and needing prompts to break up screen time
• Developers and designers — anyone who gets deep into flow state and forgets to move for hours
• Office workers — anyone who sits at a computer for the majority of their workday

If you spend more than 2 hours at a stretch on your computer, Move It was built for you.

A Note for PE Teachers

There's an irony in being a PE teacher who promotes physical activity — while spending evenings and weekends sitting at a computer planning lessons, writing reports, and doing admin.

Move It is a small way to practise what you preach. And if you share it with your students, their parents, or your colleagues, you're extending the PE philosophy beyond the gymnasium — which is kind of the whole point.

You could also recommend it in classrooms where students use Chromebooks or laptops for extended periods. It's a zero-effort way to build brain breaks into the school day.

Get Move It (Free)

Move It is free, takes 5 seconds to install, and requires no account or signup.

• Install Move It from the Chrome Web Store →
• Learn more at moveit.work

If you've been using Move It for a while, thank you — seriously. The fact that something we built in 2014 is still helping people move more every day is one of the things we're most proud of.

And if you're new to it — give it a try for a week. You'll be surprised how much better you feel when you actually get up and move every hour.

Tags: Move It, Chrome Extension, Brain Breaks, Physical Activity, Wellness, Productivity