Snacking feels unavoidable in the winter, whether we’re going back for seconds at a holiday party or cuddling up on the couch with a movie and our favorite comfort foods. But there’s a new way to snack—and it’s all about movement
Exercise snacks are the perfect way to integrate movement into your daily routine, especially if you’re living your busiest life right now. Many of us are moving less than ever, so small bursts of exercise throughout the day can make a big difference. Convenient and effective, short, simple exercise snacks have been found to offer similar benefits to longer and more sustained workouts. Better still—they require no outside equipment or schlep to the gym.
The concept of exercise snacking is like high-intensity interval training or alternating between exercise and rest (and then repeating). But instead of signing up for an hour-long workout class over lunch, spend two minutes exercising with a resting period of an hour or more in-between. The short time commitment means they fit into the spare moments of your day, wherever you might be.
No need to make exercise snacks highly structured—see them as an opportunity to add some fun to your day. Dancing is highly aerobic and good for the whole family. Stuck on a long phone call or finish up a meeting a few minutes early? That’s a perfect time to get outside for a walk or do a few squats. Consistency is key with exercise snacking, as one two-minute exercise every so often will do little to impact your health. Instead, set an alarm to get up and move once every hour.
Try out a 30-second plank while the oven heats up or bust out some lunges while brushing your teeth. Then cozy up with popcorn and a feel-good movie—you earned it.
Exercise Snacks
- Stair climbing
- Jumping jacks
- Squats
- Lunges
- Jumping rope
- Pushups
- Mountain climbers
- Plank
- Bear crawls
- Walking in place
- High-kneed running in place