What is Exercise Snacking?

From reading the title of this blog post, you might just be thinking, “does this actually mean I can have a snack while I am working out? I’m in!”

Well, we are sorry to disappoint but there is actually no eating involved in this concept of exercise. This fitness trend involves a short bursts of movement that gets the blood pumping and you can integrate into your daily life.

It’s a great alternative to blocking out a large chunk of your day travelling to the gym, working out, and then heading home. You can partake in exercise snacking throughout your day at home or at the office (if it allows). Keep on reading to learn just how easy and effective this can be!

What are the benefits of moving your body and working out?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 19.3% of the US population was engaged in sports or exercising everyday in the year 2019.* (citation below)

That number is quite small in comparison to how important exercise is in our daily lives. Movement is not only important for our overall physical health, but also our mental health.

Here are just some of the many benefits that daily exercise provides:

• It improves your memory and cognitive functioning
• Controls weight
• Combats a plethora of health conditions
• Improves your mood
• Can improve sex life
• Can improve sleep
• Boosts energy

We should move our body not only because it helps us tone up physically, but also because it makes us feel so much better! 

What is exercise snacking?

Exercise snacking was birthed from research coming out of HIIT training (high intensity interval training). This form of high intensity training involves pushing yourself to the maximum with intervals of rest in between.

Research has found that these active breaks can actually be spaced out throughout the day! The beauty of practicing exercise snacking is that it doesn’t even involve fancy equipment or heading over to the gym. Exercise snacking could look like climbing three flights of stairs three times a day, or walking for 2 minutes every 20 minutes!

The point of exercise snacking is to increase your heart rate. You can do any of this movement in your regular clothes, some great examples include jumping jacks on the spot, 10-15 walking lunges, dancing to your favorite song, taking the stairs, or squatting while you’re waiting for your lunch to warm up in the microwave. 

Not only can exercise snacking eliminate the problem of sitting for too long, but it can also boost productivity, energy, and support metabolic health. A great way to get started is by getting your coworkers involved or making an effort to do some movement during your lunch break and any other breaks you get during your work day. 

Many of us think that fitness and exercise needs to look a certain way like going to the gym for an hour or jogging outside, the truth is that it doesn’t need to! By making the time to take short breaks of movement throughout the day, you’re still reaping the benefits of exercise. Try it out for a couple of weeks and notice how you feel! It might just become apart of your lifestyle.

Sources

1. “Physical Activity – Statistics & Facts.” Statista, 28 March 2023, https://www.statista.com/topics/1749/physical-activity/#topicOverview. Accessed 19 April 2023.