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Sit-Stand Timer
Choose a pattern and press Start when you sit down to work. Change position each time the tone sounds and the color changes.
Step 1 / 3
Eight half-hour cycles: sit 20 minutes, stand 8, move 2. Four hours in all.
Four one-hour cycles: sit 45 minutes, stand 15. Easier to fit around calls.
Four one-hour cycles split evenly. Work up to this; it is two hours on your feet.
Sit stand reminder patterns compared
| Pattern | Sit | Stand | Move | Standing share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-8-2 (8 cycles) | 20 min | 8 min | 2 min | About 27% |
| 45 / 15 (4 cycles) | 45 min | 15 min | None timed | 25% |
| 30 / 30 (4 cycles) | 30 min | 30 min | None timed | 50% |
Every pattern runs for four hours, which is about half a working day. Over those four hours you stand for 64 minutes on 20-8-2, 60 minutes on 45/15 and 120 minutes on 30/30. They are general patterns, not prescriptions.
How to use it
- Pick a pattern. 20-8-2 is selected; choose 45 sit / 15 stand if you cannot change position every few minutes.
- Press Start as you sit down. The face shows Sit, the time left, and which cycle you are in, such as Cycle 3 / 8.
- When three short beeps and a tone sound, raise the desk and stand. The screen changes color and shows Stand.
- On 20-8-2, the next tone means Move: walk, climb a flight of stairs, stretch or refill your water for 2 minutes, then sit for the next cycle.
Where the 20-8-2 rule comes from
The 20-8-2 pattern splits every half hour into 20 minutes sitting, 8 minutes standing and 2 minutes moving. It is associated with Alan Hedge, an ergonomics professor at Cornell University. The numbers matter less than the idea behind them: change posture often, and put some real movement into every half hour.
General ergonomics guidance is that posture change and movement count for more than standing itself. A standing desk used for hours on end swaps one fixed position for another, and standing still for long periods has its own problems for legs, feet and the lower back. That is why the 2 minutes of walking is part of the default pattern and not an extra.
How long to stand at a standing desk
Build up gradually. If you are new to a standing desk, start with the 8-minute or 15-minute stands and stay there for a week or two before trying 30 / 30. Sit down early if your feet or back ache; the timer will bring you up again at the next cycle.
Set the desk so your forearms rest level with your elbows bent at about a right angle, and the top of the screen is at or slightly below eye level, in both positions. An anti-fatigue mat and supportive shoes make standing easier. This is a general page, not a medical one: if you have back pain or a circulation problem, ask a clinician how much standing suits you.
Common mistakes
- Standing all morning to “make up” for sitting all afternoon. Long static standing tires the legs and lower back; short, frequent changes are the point.
- Skipping the Move step because you are busy. Two minutes of walking is the part of the cycle that neither sitting nor standing replaces.
- Leaving the screen at sitting height when you stand. You end up looking down with a bent neck for every standing block.
- Locking your knees or leaning on one hip. Stand with weight on both feet and shift it now and then.
- Going straight to 30 / 30 in the first week. Two hours of standing in a morning is a lot for feet that are not used to it.
Questions people ask
What is the 20-8-2 rule?
In every 30 minutes, sit for 20, stand for 8 and move for 2. Over the four hours this timer runs, that is 160 minutes sitting, 64 standing and 16 moving.
How long should you stand at a standing desk?
There is no single agreed figure. Common patterns have you standing for a quarter to a half of desk time, in blocks of 8 to 30 minutes, and changing position matters more than the total. Start short and build up.
Is standing all day better than sitting all day?
Not really. Standing still for hours brings its own leg, foot and back complaints. The usual advice is to alternate and to walk for a couple of minutes each half hour.
Does this work as a stand up timer without a standing desk?
Yes. Use the Stand blocks for tasks you can do on your feet, such as phone calls or reading, and the Move blocks for a short walk. The cycle is the same.
Can I run an eye-break reminder at the same time?
Yes. Open the 20-20-20 timer in a second tab. It beeps every 20 minutes for a 20-second look into the distance, which falls close to the end of each Sit block on the 20-8-2 pattern.