Exercise Snacks

“I just can’t find the time.”

I hear this daily. We want to work out, we want to improve our health, we want to do what’s best for our body - but there simply isn’t enough time. The schedule is too busy and fitting in a few hours a week to meet the recommendation of 2 strength training sessions a week and either 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity just won’t fit into the schedule.

Finding time to fit in a few hours a week of walking and strength training can seem impossible and it leads to many of us not even starting.

The good news is if you are starting your fitness journey you might not need a hours in the gym each week. You can improve your fitness with just a few minutes of movement spread throughout your day. This is what we call "exercise snacks" - an approach to fitness that's changing how we think about working out.

What Are Exercise Snacks?

Exercise snacks are brief bursts of vigorous physical activity lasting 20-60 seconds, performed multiple times throughout the day. Think of them as bite-sized portions of exercise that add up to a full serving of physical activity. Unlike traditional workouts, these quick bursts can easily fit into your daily routine.

The Science Behind the Snacks

These little burst of activities can make a big difference on our overall health. A groundbreaking study published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism found that performing three 20-second "all-out" exercise snacks spread throughout the day improved cardiorespiratory fitness by approximately 4% after just 6 weeks. For context, that's similar to improvements seen from traditional sprint interval training sessions requiring dedicated workout time.

Another study demonstrated that stair climbing "snacks" - simply vigorously climbing 3-4 flights of stairs three times a day - improved cardiorespiratory fitness by about 5% over six weeks. These improvements in fitness are particularly significant since cardiorespiratory fitness is a strong predictor of longevity and overall health.

However, the benefits don’t stop there.

Exercise snacks can:

• Improve blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity

• Enhance vascular function

• Increase muscle strength when resistance exercises are incorporated

• Break up prolonged sitting time, which is independently harmful to health

• Be more enjoyable and sustainable than traditional workout sessions for many people

Incorporating Exercise Snacks

So how do you incorporate exercise snacks into your life?

It can be as simple as:

• Climbing several flights of stairs

• Doing a set of bodyweight squats or push-ups

• Performing jumping jacks or burpees

• Taking a brisk 1-minute power walk

• Doing high knees or mountain climbers

The key is to perform these activities vigorously - you should feel significantly out of breath by the end of your "snack." Aim for 2-3 of these snacks throughout your day, separated by at least an hour.

What makes exercise snacks particularly powerful is their accessibility. No gym membership, special equipment, or significant time commitment is required. You can perform them at work, at home, or anywhere you have a small space to move.

Just Start

While traditional exercise sessions certainly have their place and offer more robust benefits, exercise snacks offer an alternative for those struggling to find time for longer workouts. These brief bursts of activity can lead to meaningful improvements in fitness and health when performed consistently.

Remember, you don't need to block out large chunks of time to improve your health. Sometimes the best approach is to start small and build momentum. Exercise snacks provide a practical way to begin your fitness journey or supplement your existing routine.

So next time you're feeling too busy to exercise, remember that every movement snack counts. Your body will thank you for these brief but powerful doses of activity.

Some more on the research:

Sprint Exercise Snacks vs Traditional Training In a 2019 study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers compared two approaches to sprint training in young, inactive adults. One group performed three 20-second "all-out" cycling sprints spread throughout the day with 1-4 hours rest between (sprint snacks), while another group did the same sprints with just 3 minutes rest between them in a single 10-minute session. After 6 weeks, both groups showed similar improvements: the sprint snacks group increased their peak oxygen uptake by about 4%, while the traditional sprint group improved by 6%. Time trial performance improved by 9% and 13% respectively. This showed that spreading exercise throughout the day could be as effective as concentrated workout sessions.

Stair Climbing Exercise Snacks A groundbreaking study in Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism examined whether brief stair climbing could improve fitness. Researchers had sedentary young adults vigorously climb three flights of stairs (60 steps) three times per day, with 1-4 hours between climbs. This was done just three days per week for six weeks. The results were impressive - participants improved their peak oxygen uptake by approximately 5% compared to a control group. This study demonstrated that simple, accessible activities like stair climbing could provide meaningful fitness benefits when done in short bursts throughout the day.

Exercise Snacks for Cancer Prevention Recent research published in The Journal of Physiology explored how exercise snacks might benefit cancer prevention. The study revealed that brief, vigorous exercise bouts could influence the tumor microenvironment through various mechanisms, including increased blood flow and the release of beneficial compounds called myokines from active muscles. While more research is needed, this suggests exercise snacks may have benefits beyond just improving fitness.

Resistance Exercise Snacks A 2024 study in Frontiers in Public Health investigated whether resistance exercise snacks could improve muscle mass in female university employees with sedentary jobs. Participants performed 10-minute resistance exercise snacks on working days for 12 weeks. The intervention group showed a significant increase in muscle mass (+0.42 kg) while the control group lost muscle mass (-0.16 kg). This demonstrated that brief resistance exercise snacks could help maintain and build muscle mass even in those with desk jobs.

Workplace Implementation Research in Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism examined the feasibility of implementing exercise snacks in workplace settings. The study found that when participants were given the choice between traditional sprint interval training or exercise snacks, many preferred the snack approach. On days when participants performed either type of exercise, they showed increased daily activity levels and reduced sedentary time, suggesting exercise snacks could help combat the negative effects of prolonged sitting at work.