How ‘Exercise Snacks’ Help Keep You Fit In Minutes A Day

Spending hours in the gym exercising every week can seem overwhelming or even impossible. How can you improve fitness in just a few minutes? Enter the concept of “exercise snacks” — brief bursts of physical activity throughout the day that deliver real health benefits without the time commitment of traditional workouts.

Here are five key insights on exercise snacks:

Exercise Snacks Can Happen Anywhere, Anytime

Exercise snacks don’t require fancy equipment or a structured program. People can move in ways that feel right, wherever they are. Some examples of exercise snacks to try between Zoom meetings, at an all-day conference or during a coffee break:

• Climbing a flight of stairs at max effort
• 10–20 air squats
• 30-second jumping jacks or high knees
• A brisk five-minute walk outside
• A few push-ups or planks

Exercise Snacks Have Different Effects On The Body Than Other Regular Exercise

Exercise snacks offer unique physiological benefits compared to traditional exercises like weightlifting or prolonged aerobic workouts.

The short movement bursts in exercise snacks rely on anaerobic energy systems to produce quick, powerful energy. Yet they also cause a short-term adrenaline boost. This rapidly increases glucose uptake into cells, elevates the heart rate and improves both blood vessel function and insulin sensitivity.

By contrast, weightlifting affects different hormones including testosterone, which promotes muscle growth, as it incorporates progressive overload to build strength over time.

Aerobic exercise sessions — lasting 30 minutes or more involving activities like jogging or cycling — provide sustained cardiovascular conditioning and greater fat burning. They also lead to improved mitochondrial function, endurance and greater caloric expenditure, crucial to weight management and metabolic health.

Engaging In Exercise Snacks Is Backed By Science

A 2019 randomized trial found that climbing stairs in short bursts (three flights or 60 steps) three days a week for six weeks significantly increased peak oxygen consumption — also called the “VO2 max” in sedentary individuals. VO2 max is an important measure of heart and lung function. Increasing VO2 max is linked to greater longevity.

Keeping blood sugar within a normal range is also important to metabolic health. Exercise snacks can help manage glucose levels. A report published in Diabetologia studied people with insulin resistance — a precursor to diabetes. Brief, repeated bouts of intense activity helped control post-meal blood sugar levels better than a single longer 30-minute workout.

Adding brief exercise snacks help interrupt sedentary time and reduce the risk of health issues related to sitting. A study compared eight hours of uninterrupted prolonged sitting, walking every 30 minutes for two minutes, or bodyweight squats (15 chair stands with a calf raise). Compared to walking, squats were more effective in reducing the body’s insulin levels in response to eating — a sign of better metabolic health. Prolonged sitters had the highest insulin levels, i.e. the poorest metabolic health.

Exercise Snacks Are Easy To Integrate Into Your Daily Life

Because exercises snacks are so short, they lower the psychological barrier to exercise, making it more likely people will stick with it and develop a habit.

One thing to try is changing a daily habit to encourage high-impact bursts of exercise. For example, run up the stairs instead taking the escalator when exiting the subway. Create a home ritual like doing jumping jacks every time you turn on the microwave. Set regular alarms on your phone and do your exercise snacks, say 12 squats with a calf raise, every time it rings.

The Best Approach: Exercise Snacks And Longer Workouts

The American Heart Association and World Health Organization recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.

Traditional exercise sessions contribute to mental and emotional well-being in ways that exercise snacks alone cannot. Exercise snacks don’t produce the same endorphin release and cognitive benefits as structured workouts. Group exercise classes and team sports also foster social interaction, accountability and motivation — factors that contribute to long-term adherence to a fitness routine.

Therefore, view exercise snacks as in addition to regular exercise and not as a substitute. Integrating both approaches ensures a well-rounded fitness regimen that maximizes cardiovascular health, muscular strength, mental well-being and overall longevity.

Think about the next long workday of sitting meetings. Maybe that’s tomorrow. Add a few exercise snacks. Also try to fit in some weightlifting or a run if possible. Ultimately, “and” — not “or” — is the best approach when it comes to exercise snacks.