Melanie Radzicki McManus, CNN
Editor’s note: Before beginning any new exercise program, consult your doctor. Stop immediately if you experience pain.
CNN — It may seem hard to believe, but snacking several times a day can boost your health and fitness — exercise snacking, that is.
“Exercise snacks” are short bursts of activity — 30 seconds to five or 10 minutes max — that encompass almost any type of movement. Think climbing stairs, walking, doing squats or dancing. The term is thought to have been first used in 2007 by cardiologist Dr. Howard Hartley, who was then associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Today, numerous studies prove the value of these mini workouts.
Performing 15- to 30-second exercise snacks three times daily was shown to improve the cardiorespiratory fitness levels and exercise performance in inactive adults, according to a small January 2022 study published in the journal Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews. The “snacks” in the study were stair-climbing and cycling.
Adults who reported they didn’t work out saw a 17% to 18% reduction in cancer incidence after they began doing just 3.4 to 3.6 minutes of vigorous physical activity daily, a July 2023 study of 22,398 people found. Their daily physical activity was done in bursts lasting less than one or two minutes. Hitting 4.5 minutes of vigorous, intermittent physical activity each day was associated with a 31% to 32% reduction in cancer incidence, according to the study published in JAMA Oncology.
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