Bite-sized workouts are easy to squeeze into your day, and they’ll have you feeling healthier in no time…
When you’re tired or busy with work and chores, it’s easy to put off exercise, but breaking it up into less daunting bite-sized portions could be the key to keeping you on track. Known as exercise snacking, this is a slightly more relaxed approach to fitness that’s easier to work into your day, but still delivers great results.
It might sound like an excuse to grab a sneaky biscuit while you’re doing your squats, but it really means doing short bursts of exercise that you can ‘snack’ on throughout the day. It might be helpful to think of exercise snacking as similar to snacking on food. But instead of reaching for a banana to keep you full, you’re snacking on movement to stay fit. This type of workout is ideal for those who are limited on time, struggle with lengthy workouts or prefer exercising in the comfort of their own home instead of the gym. It’s also great for women from midlife onwards, because it won’t leave you feeling fatigued, and you can opt for low-impact movements that are easily done around the house.
Dean Zweck from health club Total Fitness says this way of exercising can be extremely effective. “Exercise snacking is the phrase for bite-sized workouts you can perform throughout the day. These bursts of exercise can be as brief as a few minutes, and they add up over the day. The idea of exercise snacking is to keep your body moving consistently, even if it’s just for a few minutes at a time.”
You can opt for low-impact movements to do in the house
Mood boosting moves
While this way of exercising is great for improving fitness, it also has many other upsides. “The benefits of exercise snacking include breaking up prolonged periods of sitting, which is excellent for overall health and keeping your body active,” adds Dean. “This repetitive activity aids in weight management and, if you’re sitting at a desk all day, it could even help improve your posture.”
When it comes to the type of moves you choose to snack on, you can grab a bite of whatever you feel most comfortable with. “You can sneak in some squats or gentle push-ups during TV breaks or Zoom meetings, using your spare time to enhance your fitness throughout the day,” says Dean. “These brief workouts boost your metabolism, resulting in additional calorie burning. They can also elevate your mood and boost your energy.”
