{"id":8552,"date":"2023-12-22T13:08:49","date_gmt":"2023-12-22T12:08:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nem.health\/?p=8552"},"modified":"2023-12-22T14:09:15","modified_gmt":"2023-12-22T13:09:15","slug":"exercise-snacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nem.health\/en\/exercise-snacks\/","title":{"rendered":"Exercise snacks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Don\u2019t work out as much as you should? You are not alone!  According to a study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US, more than 60 % of Americans are not meeting the guidelines for physical activity (1). In Sweden, the situation is better, with about 40 % of Swedes not exercising regularly (2). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the known risks of physical inactivity, many people struggle to meet exercise guidelines (3). When most people think of exercise, they think about going to the gym, which requires dedicated time, equipment, and a gym membership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is considered the biomarker of ultimate health, as we discussed\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>. So, is there anything that could be done to increase it if one does not have the time to exercise in a controlled environment such as a fitness center?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How much physical activity is recommended?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

According to the latest Guidelines of the World Health Organization, adults aged 18-64 (4):\u00a0<\/p>\n–\tShould engage in at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or a combination of both, weekly.\u00a0<\/p>\n–\tMuscle-strengthening activities targeting major muscle groups should be done on 2 or more days a week at moderate or greater intensity for added health benefits. \u00a0<\/p>\n–\tAdditional benefits can be achieved with more aerobic activity. \u00a0<\/p>\n–\tReducing sedentary time is advised, replacing it with any level of physical activity. Exceeding the recommended levels above is encouraged to counteract the adverse effects of prolonged sedentary behavior on health.\n\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

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We want to bring up a new approach on how to increase your CRF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recognizing the health benefits of breaking up sedentary time, a new concept called “exercise snacks<\/em><\/strong>” has emerged (3). Exercise snacks involve brief, vigorous bouts of exercise incorporated into daily activities, making them accessible and convenient. They enhance CRF, and naturally reduce prolonged sitting, mitigating its adverse health effects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While current research on exercise snacks is primarily in the proof-of-concept stages, it emphasizes the potential of this approach to increase physical activity and improve cardiometabolic health in the general population. The current WHO guidelines have removed the previous recommendations that physical activityshould be performed in greater than or equal to 10-minute bouts and recommends reducing sedentary time and replacing it with physical activity of ANY intensity (4). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\u00a0article\u00a0summarizes key findings and supports the idea that exercise snacks are a practical, well-received, and time-efficient means of enhancing CRF and counteracting sedentary-related health risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is an exercise snack?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The term “exercise snacks” was initially introduced by Dr. Howard Hartley in a 2007\u00a0News magazine article<\/a>,<\/strong> and it gained scientific recognition when a 2014 study by Francois et al. demonstrated the benefits of intermittent, brief, vigorous-intensity walking for glycemic control in individuals with insulin resistance\u00a0(5). While the original study involved 11-minute exercise sessions, more recent research has defined exercise snacks as\u00a0isolated bouts of vigorous exercise lasting under a minute, performed multiple times throughout the day\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>(3).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is important is that even though the period is very short, it is still exercise, and as such, \u201cit is planned, structured, repetitive, and intended for the purpose of improving cardiometabolic health\u201d\u00a0(3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What are the benefits of exercise snacking?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the benefits of exercise snacks include (3), <\/strong>(6), (7):<\/p>\n\n\n\n