Built for the 20-8-2 standing desk rule: 20 minutes sitting · 8 minutes standing · 2 minutes moving.
Why I built this · Screenshots · 20-8-2 Rule · Features · Download
Recently I bought a standing desk.
Most of us already understand the concept: sitting all day is not great, standing all day is not the answer either, and moving a little during work is important.
But when it comes to action, there is a simple problem: there is usually nothing reminding us to actually do it.
When I was focused on work, my desk just stayed in one position for hours. I would remember the idea later, but not at the moment when I needed to stand or move.
That's why I built SitStandGo.
It reminds me when to sit, when to stand, and when to take 2 minutes to move around. Nothing complicated. No account. No dashboard. Just a small desktop app that turns the 20-8-2 idea into a real habit while I work.
| Full timer | Settings |
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| Mini mode | Floating reminder |
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The 20-8-2 rule is a practical standing desk rhythm often associated with Cornell ergonomics researcher Dr. Alan Hedge:
- 🪑 20 minutes sitting
- 🧍 8 minutes standing
- 🚶 2 minutes moving, walking, or stretching
Then repeat.
The exact numbers are not meant to be a medical prescription. The main idea is simple: do not stay static for too long. Sitting all day is not good, but standing still all day is not the answer either. The useful part is the cycle: sit, stand, move, repeat.
Cornell's ergonomics guidance puts it clearly:
"Simply standing is insufficient. Movement is important to get blood circulation through the muscles."
— Alan Hedge, Cornell University Ergonomics Web
Useful references:
- Cornell CUErgo Sit-Stand Working Programs: https://ergo.human.cornell.edu/CUESitStandPrograms.html
- Cornell CUErgo Sitting and Standing: https://ergo.human.cornell.edu/CUESitStand.html
- Hbada 20-8-2 overview: https://hbada.com/blogs/hbada-blogs/what-is-the-20-8-2-rule-everything-you-need-to-know-about-healthier-sitting-and-productive-work
SitStandGo turns the 20-8-2 idea into a simple desktop reminder.
20 minutes sitting → 8 minutes standing → 2 minutes moving → repeat
When each phase ends, the app reminds you what to do next.
You can confirm, snooze, skip, reset, or switch to the small mini timer if you do not want the full window on screen.
- 9-language interface — English, Chinese (Simplified), Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Vietnamese. Pick a language from Settings → Language, or leave it on Follow system to match your Windows locale.
- 20-8-2 cycle: sit, stand, move, repeat
- Drift-free countdown that stays accurate while minimized
- Daily completed-cycle counter
- Pause, resume, reset, and skip controls
- Floating popup reminder
- In-app reminder
- Windows notification fallback
- Snooze option
- Confirm button for each phase
- Audio chimes
- 12 built-in sounds
- Test sound button in settings
- Large circular progress ring
- Current phase and remaining time
- Play / pause, reset, and skip buttons
- Daily cycle count
- Small health quote at the bottom
- Dark and light theme
- Compact timer
- Small circular progress ring
- Expand, reset, minimize, and close buttons
- Adjustable opacity
- Optional always-on-top behavior
- Designed so the buttons stay clickable on Windows frameless windows
- No account
- No cloud sync
- Settings are stored locally on your computer
- No Tracking
Here is what I would like to add over the coming versions. These are plans, not promises — just the next things I want to work on.
- Report feature — a place where you can see the complete report of your sitting, standing, and moving history.
- Track progress — view daily, weekly, and monthly statistics. See your standing streaks and celebrate your health wins.
SitStandGo is Windows-only today. The dream is to have it on every device you might want to work from.
- Mac version
- Linux version
- Android app
- iPhone app
If you would like to help with one of these, the codebase is intentionally small and most of the timer logic lives in one file. The hard part for mobile is mostly the tray, icon, and notifications — not the timer itself.
Download the latest Windows build here:
https://github.com/xenstar/sitstandgo/releases/latest
Note: the app is currently unsigned, so Windows SmartScreen may show a warning on first launch.
MIT