What Are “Exercise Snacks” and Why They Work
“Exercise snacks” refer to short, intense bursts of physical activity that can be easily incorporated into daily routines. The idea behind exercise snacking is to break up longer periods of inactivity with brief, yet effective, bursts of exercise. These short bursts can be as simple as 7 minutes of vigorous activity and as little as 60 seconds of movement, and these can be performed multiple times throughout the day.
For example, instead of sitting for prolonged periods, a person might engage in a quick session of marching on the spot, star jumps, squats, or lunges. Research suggests that incorporating short workouts into your day can be an easy and effective way to improve fitness, boost metabolism, and reduce sedentary behaviour.
Here’s a great example of an exercise snack you can do while waiting for the kettle to boil. Simply perform these two arm exercises that will not only tone your arms but also help improve your posture and increase your calorie burn during that time.
WHY EXERCISE SNACKS WORK
Short Duration: Exercise snacks are meant to be brief, usually lasting only a few minutes. The goal is to make them short enough to easily fit into your daily routine, allowing you to find time for physical activity, no matter how busy you are. Exercise snacks are designed to be brief, typically lasting just a few minutes. The aim is to keep them short enough to easily integrate into your daily routine, enabling you to find time for physical activity, regardless of how busy you are. Here is a Free Playlist of my 5 Minute Exercise Snack Videos on my YouTube Channel.
Intensity: Although exercise snacks are brief, they are typically intense. This involves engaging in movements that utilise multiple muscle groups. Since these sessions are short, we can push ourselves a bit harder during this time, which is how we achieve better results.
Frequency:They can be done multiple times throughout the day. For example, you might perform a quick set of exercises in the morning, another during your lunch break, and one more in the evening. The goal is to accumulate these short bursts of activity to achieve health benefits.
Variety: You can vary the types of exercises you include in your exercise snacks to target different muscle groups and keep things interesting. This also helps prevent overuse injuries that may occur from repetitive movements. Below are some exercises snack suggestions for you.
Adaptability: One of the advantages of quick workouts is their adaptability to different fitness levels and environments. They can be tailored to suit your fitness level, and you can perform them at home, in the office, or even outdoors.
Breaking Up Sedentary Behaviour: One of the primary purposes of exercise snacks is to break up long periods of sitting or sedentary behaviour. Incorporating short bursts of activity helps counteract the negative effects of prolonged sitting on health.
Consistency is Key: While individual exercise snacks may seem short, the cumulative effect of incorporating them consistently throughout the day adds up. Over time, this can contribute to improved cardiovascular health, increased energy expenditure, and other fitness benefits.
