REMINDERS · PLAIN ANSWERS
Is there an app that reminds you to stretch?
Yes. Pause is an iPhone app that reminds you to stretch every 45, 60 or 90 minutes within the working days and hours you choose, and tapping the reminder opens the app ready to start a short stretch routine with written steps and a timer. If you only want the nudge, the Reminders app on your iPhone can repeat a reminder every hour for free, but it will not tell you which stretch to do and it does not stop at the end of your working day.
By Pause · KCO Partners LLC · Published September 16, 2026
Part of Workplace stretching, the Pause workplace stretching series.
What makes a stretch reminder useful
Three things matter more than features. It should only arrive while you work, so evenings and weekends stay quiet. It should suit an office, which usually means no sound. And it should leave you with something to do: a notification that just says “stretch” leaves you to pick a stretch, remember how it goes and time it yourself, which is where most breaks get skipped.
How Pause handles it
You choose working days, a start and end time and an interval of 45, 60 or 90 minutes. The first reminder comes one interval after your start time and none arrive outside those hours. Reminders are delivered quietly, with no sound or badge, and do not break through a Focus mode. “Start my break” opens Pause on a ready screen, and nothing starts until you tap; “Snooze 10 minutes” moves the reminder on. The library has 11 movements and 2 breathing practices, each written as short steps, and three routines, including one you can do without leaving your chair.
How often to set it
Workplace guidance counts breaks per hour. CCOHS recommends five to ten minutes away from the workstation for every hour, and the UK’s HSE gives five to ten minutes after fifty to sixty minutes of continuous screen work as an example. A 60-minute interval matches that; 90 minutes is a gentler place to start if hourly feels like a lot.
Common questions
Is there a free app that reminds you to stretch?
The Reminders app on your iPhone is free and can repeat a reminder hourly, though it runs around the clock and does not guide the stretch. In Pause, reminder setup is part of Pause Plus; your first completed break is free without an account.
Does the reminder work with the app closed?
Yes. Pause schedules its reminders on your iPhone ahead of time, so they arrive with the app closed, as long as notifications are allowed for Pause.
Will it remind me at weekends?
Only if you pick weekend days. Pause suggests Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, and reminders stay off until you turn them on.
Background: CCOHS stretching at the workstation · HSE display screen equipment breaks. These organisations do not endorse Pause. Product details describe Pause’s current iPhone build. These pages are general wellness information, not medical advice, and Pause’s routines have not been clinically validated.