Exercising Snacks: An Overview
When you hear the term "exercise snacks," the first thing that comes to mind is probably something you'd consume before or after a workout. However, as much as we enjoy our pre- and post-workout snacks, the term "exercise snacks" does not relate to food. It combines the idea of snacks — modest amounts of things throughout the day – with a plan for getting your activity in!
What are some examples of exercise snacks?
The idea behind exercise snacks is that instead of doing a single 30-45 minute workout in the gym, you break it up with multiple shorter training breaks throughout the day. It's from this that the term "snacking" was coined. The pauses can be as brief as 20 seconds or as long as 15 minutes, depending on your preferences and schedule.
What are the advantages of snacking while exercise?
For many individuals, one of the biggest advantages of exercise snacks is that they don't involve setting up an hour to go to the gym or fitting in a long workout. Instead, exercise snacks ask for 5-15 minutes of exercise a few times a day, which is much more manageable for most individuals! The concept behind exercise snacking is that it's easier to integrate into your day, whether you take a few minutes out of your lunch break or conclude a meeting early. That's merely the practical advantage. Some individuals may not believe that exercise snacks may be as helpful as a single lengthier activity, but they would be astonished. In the following paragraph, I'll expand on this.
Is it true that exercise snacks work?
Yes, to a point. To get a good workout, you don't have to go to the gym for 30-60 minutes straight. Small bursts of exercise throughout the day have been demonstrated in studies to have a good impact on your overall health. Participants in one study were asked to walk three flights of stairs three times a day, with a 1-4 hour interval in between, and otherwise remain sedentary. The findings revealed that even a tiny quantity of exercise can help you improve your cardiovascular fitness! Another study found that taking two minutes to exercise and get out of your work chair can improve your blood sugar levels. We all know that moving during the day is beneficial to our health, and when done right, it may also improve our fitness!
How can I begin incorporating exercise snacks into my daily routine?
Exercise snacks are as simple as getting out of your chair and working out for five or ten minutes right now. This 10-minute core routine is one of our favorites. You can incorporate exercise snacks into your day in any method that works best for you. Some people prefer to set a timer to remind them to move, while others prefer to do their 10 minutes of exercise at mealtime. You may also utilize cues from your regular life to remind yourself to get some exercise; for example, jogging up the stairs instead of walking is a wonderful way to get your heart rate up.
One thing to keep in mind: workout snacks are not the same as movement minutes, which is when you purposefully increase your daily movement. Exercise snacks are more focused and usually higher-intensity than movement minutes, which are a wonderful way to move more and sit less. While doing squats while brushing your teeth counts as movement minutes, an exercise snack is more like 5-10 minutes of HIIT workouts before getting in the shower. A movement minute is when you use the stairs instead of the elevator; an exercise snack is when you run up the stairs three times in a row. Both are beneficial to your health, but exercise snacks are the way to go if you want to increase your performance in the same manner that a workout would.