Did you know…
Exercise Snacks (exercising in small 5 to 10 minute increments throughout the day) yield the same, if not slightly better, results than one big session at the gym.
Moving consistently throughout the day can trump one BIG workout that is followed by
12 hours of sitting…
And we are not just talking about waistline — exercise snacks have shown improvement across other vitality markers as well — fasting insulin, fasting glucose, lipids, and cardiorespiratory fitness.
Here is some evidence to back this up:
This study looked at 19 studies with a total of 1080 participants.
They were looking for the same workout either 1) completed in a single session, or 2) broken up into smaller chunks over the day.
Results showed that the exercise snack group and the single bout group both reduced their total body mass and improved their LDL cholesterol, but the exercise snack group fared slightly better in both.
Here is EVEN more proof…
- Exercise snacks can reduce blood glucose levels after a meal
- Exercise snacks lower blood lipids after a meal
- 1 minute of all-out sprints (broken down into 3 x 20-second sprints) improved cardiometabolic and mitochondrial health AS MUCH AS individuals doing cardio for 45-50 minutes. That’s five times less time and volume!
So, what should I do?
Replace your Gym Session with Exercise Snacks
For this to work, you have to think about the intensity and duration of your regular workouts. You’ll want to match your regular, continuous workout by breaking it down into smaller bits.
So, if you are working out for 60 minutes, your exercise snacks should add up to 60 minutes throughout the day. That could be 6 x 10-minute sessions, or 12 x 5-minute sessions. And you MUST match the intensity of your regular workout.
Intensity is subjective, but you can think about it on a scale of one to 10: One being pretty low intensity, and 10 being all out. If your continuous workout was an eight, the exercise snacks also have to be an eight.
This is a GREAT option if you struggle with the time commitment of a bigger gym session, if you travel frequently, if you’re the family chauffeur driving kids to after-school activities, or if you decided to sleep in that day.
BUT, you can also keep your gym session AND incorporate exercise snacks (especially if are one who loves to go to the gym and have a good routine already)
Here are some exercise snack ideas (but be creative with your ideas based on how you like to exercise…)
- While making dinner: 20 pushups, 20 air squats, 20 alternating lunges, 20s plank
- While traveling: take a 5-10 min at pit stops (add in some walking lunges); do some seated exercises while in the car (as long as you are not driving)
- Opt for walking meetings: I’ll take a call and go for a walk around the block.
- Pro tip: if you have an iPhone, put the “Voice Isolation” mode on. This prioritizes your voice over background noise.
- Added benefits of walking outdoors on brain health
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You don’t have to do this alone. We are here to support you!
Small steps. Subtle shifts. Big changes.
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