Schedule your pulses
Pick a daily window and cadence — say, every 45 minutes from 9 to 6. Each pulse is a movement break with a countdown you can see.
The movement alarm for people who ignore reminders
Move. Or it keeps ringing.
PulseMove is the movement reminder app with teeth: a real lock-screen alarm fires through your workday and won't stay quiet until your iPhone verifies you walked. No swiping it away. No lying to a timer. Just get up.
- Step-verified dismissal
- Skips your meetings
- Car-safe
- 3-day free trial
PulseMove: Desk Break Alarm
iPhone · Free 3-day trial, then $49.99/yr or $4.99/wk
Download on theApp Store
On a computer? Scan with your iPhone.
Screenshots
An alarm clock with standards
The exact flow from ring to walk to streak — straight from the App Store listing.
Swipe to see all five
How it works
Discipline, outsourced
Four moving parts, zero willpower required. You set the schedule once — PulseMove enforces it every workday.
It rings for real
When a pulse fires, it's a full lock-screen alarm — like your morning alarm, not a text. Ignore it and it re-rings every minute.
Walk to silence it
About 25 steps, counted on-device by your iPhone's motion sensor. No honor-system “done” button — the alarm stands down when you've actually moved.
Earn Beats, keep the streak
10 Beats per answered pulse, +5 for moving within 2 minutes. Resolve 80% of the day's pulses and your streak counts. You can't fake it — that's the point.
Calendar-aware
PulseMove checks your calendar and skips pulses that would ring mid-meeting — and shows you exactly how long you're protected.
Car-safe
Driving detection holds pulses while you're behind the wheel. Everywhere else, when in doubt, it rings.
Grace, not guilt
Deep in flow? Spend 100 Beats on a Grace token to skip one pulse — the day still counts, and moving later refunds it.
Guides
Sit less, on purpose
Short, practical reads on movement reminders, desk breaks and building a habit that survives deadline days.
Stand-up reminder
The Stand-Up Reminder That's Impossible to Ignore
Why most stand reminders get swiped away — and what an enforceable one looks like.
Read the guide → Walk-to-dismissThe Alarm That Makes You Walk to Turn It Off
Walk-to-dismiss transformed waking up. Here's the all-day version for your desk.
Read the guide → The 30-minute ruleHow Often Should You Stand Up From Your Desk?
What research actually recommends — every 30 minutes, the 20/8/2 rule — and how to hit it.
Read the guide → ADHDAn ADHD Break Reminder That Survives Hyperfocus
Time blindness eats gentle pings for breakfast. Alarm-grade interrupts don't get eaten.
Read the guide → Movement reminderWhat a Movement Reminder App Should Actually Do
Notification vs. enforcement: the checklist that separates apps that work from apps you mute.
Read the guide → Stand ringKeep Ignoring Your Apple Watch Stand Reminder?
You're not lazy — the nudge is free to ignore. Here's how to give it consequences.
Read the guide → PomodoroPomodoro Movement Breaks: Walk Between Sprints
Turn the 5-minute break into an enforced walk — and come back sharper for the next block.
Read the guide → Sit lessSitting Too Much at Work? How to Sit Less
The realistic playbook for desk workers — built on systems, not motivation.
Read the guide →FAQ
Fair questions
What is the best stand-up reminder app for desk workers?
The one you can't ignore. Most break apps send notifications that cost nothing to swipe away; PulseMove rings a real lock-screen alarm and only goes quiet after your iPhone verifies ~25 walked steps. Learn more →
Is there an alarm that makes you walk to turn it off?
Yes — walk-to-dismiss alarms exist for waking up, and PulseMove brings the same mechanic to your entire workday: every pulse rings until you physically walk, verified on-device. Learn more →
How often should you stand up from your desk?
Research converges on roughly every 30 minutes, with a couple of minutes of movement — the 20/8/2 rule is a common guideline. PulseMove enforces whatever cadence you pick. Learn more →
What's a break reminder that actually works with ADHD?
Hyperfocus and time blindness swallow gentle pings. An alarm-grade interrupt that demands a physical action — walking — is much harder to defer into oblivion. Learn more →
How is a movement reminder app different from a notification?
A notification asks; PulseMove verifies. The alarm keeps ringing until the pedometer counts your steps, and your streak only counts days where you resolved 80% of your pulses. Learn more →
I keep ignoring my Apple Watch stand reminders — what should I do?
Ignoring a stand nudge is free, so you ignore it. Give the reminder consequences: a real alarm that re-rings until your steps prove you moved. Learn more →
Does PulseMove work with the Pomodoro Technique?
Perfectly — match your pulse cadence to your focus blocks and every break becomes a short enforced walk instead of a scroll. Learn more →
How do I sit less at work without relying on willpower?
Replace willpower with a system: scheduled pulses, a re-ringing alarm, step-verified dismissal, and a streak you can't fake. Decide once; the app enforces daily. Learn more →
Will PulseMove ring during my meetings?
No — it checks your calendar and skips pulses that collide with meetings, showing a “protected until” status. It also detects driving and holds pulses in the car. Learn more →
How much does PulseMove cost?
$49.99/year with a 3-day free trial, or $4.99/week — billed through your Apple Account, cancel anytime in Settings. Learn more →
Ready when you are
Your chair had a good run.
Set your pulses once. From tomorrow, the alarm does the remembering — and your steps do the talking.
On a computer? Scan with your iPhone.
3-day free trial on the annual plan · Cancel anytime · Your steps and calendar never leave your iPhone