Have a tight schedule and need a more practical way to exercise? Then exercise snacks, or short bursts of vigorous exercise done intermittently throughout the day, could be a game changer. In fact, quick vigorous movements throughout the day can have the same benefits as a longer workout. Research has shown that 1 or 2 minutes of vigorous exercise in intervals throughout the day can improve heart health by increasing cardiovascular fitness. Exercise snacks simulate the benefits of high-intensity interval training, but with longer rest periods. Instead of exercising for 20 or 30 minutes, you can do these movements throughout the day to fit your schedule. For example, if you take 15-minute breaks at work, you can add some movement during that time.
A UK study found that those who took part in vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (three bouts of 1 to 2 minutes of vigorous exercise daily) reduced their risk of cancer or other causes by 38% to 40%. It also found that participants reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 48% to 49%. Another study observed how exercise snacking improved muscle function in healthy older adults. As a result, their leg muscle power and size improved over the 28-day program. Therefore, regardless of your age or fitness level, you can get all the benefits of exercise snacking.
If you don’t have time to follow an hour-long workout routine, try doing some exercise snacks so you can still benefit from the heart health benefits. Below are some ideas to get you started and are easy enough to do anywhere throughout the day.
Take the stairs
Climb flights of stairs throughout the day to get the most out of exercise snacks for your heart health. If you live in an apartment building, have stairs in your home or if they’re part of your commute, take advantage of them to get your heart rate up. Aim for vigorous stair climbing throughout the day when you have the time. One study showed improvement in patients with coronary artery disease by doing three rounds of climbing six flights of 12 stairs, with recovery periods of walking. The study compared how stair climbing and traditional moderate-intensity exercise affected participants’ cardiorespiratory fitness. Researchers found that stair climbers had a higher heart rate percentage across a shorter exercise time during the first four weeks of supervised testing. Both groups continued their exercise routine for an additional eight weeks unsupervised and managed to maintain their heart rate level percentage. The difference was that the stair climbers continued to exercise for less time. So if climbing the stairs is the most exercise you can do during the day, you might as well do that exercise intentionally.
Go for a walk
Going for a brisk walk can keep your heart healthy. Aim for 30 minutes of walking a day. Another way to approach your walking goal is to break it up 10 minutes at a time, three times daily, to reap the same benefits. Just make sure it’s a moderate to vigorous effort so you’ll get your heart rate up.
Bodyweight exercises
If you work in an office or from home, chances are you spend a lot of time sitting. Taking the time to move, even if it’s to get in some quick bodyweight exercise, it can do wonders for your heart health. While taking breaks from your desk, set up an interval timer and play around with bodyweight squats, lunges, push-ups, jumping jacks, bear crawls, planks and more.
Jump rope
Jumping rope is a fun way to get your heart rate up while improving your cardiovascular health in short periods. One idea suggested by Nike Master Trainer Joe Holder is to pick up a jump rope and jump for five rounds of 1 minute each, playing around either with the intensity or variety of jumping. The more you improve your cardio fitness, the more you can increase the time of your workout to keep yourself challenged.
Do some chores
You can get a good workout by doing some chores around your home. Whether that’s gardening, vacuuming, cleaning or organizing your home, you can get the benefits of a workout while keeping your life in order. It goes to show you that you don’t need a gym to get a workout in, especially when plenty of daily activities count and you may not realize it.
