As the holiday season approaches many people tend to go into a ‘relax mode’ with regard to their diet plans and exercise regimen. However, health experts say that rather than forgetting fitness altogether it would be better to continue exercises during this period, especially considering the additional calories one is likely to intake from copious festive spreads.
New studies by researchers at the University of Colorado in the United States, as well as by physiologists elsewhere, show that even if one cannot find the time or inclination to undertake regular full-fledged exercises, engaging in short bursts of vigorous activity, often referred to as ‘exercise snacks’, can help maintain health. And interestingly, these brief bouts of exercise do not have to involve weights or other equipment, even undertaking household chores, playing with the kids outdoors can count as a workout if done correctly.
Many people will avoid conventional exercise, including a regular time-consuming exercise regimen that could involve time at a gym, or walking or running that involves a large time commitment. On the other hand, when exercise can be taken in small bites of only a few minutes and does not require any special equipment, it makes it easier for people to stick with it.
Emerging evidence also reveals that short bursts of vigorous activity throughout the day can be just as beneficial to health as setting aside a dedicated time slot to engage in exercises. For example, a 2019 study found that workouts lasting less than 15 minutes long, which included a warm-up, cool-down, and less than 5 minutes of vigorous exercise, were capable of improving blood sugar control as well as heart and lung function, both of which contribute to reducing cardiometabolic risk.
More recently, a study published in January 2022 found that performing short bouts, of a minute or less, of vigorous exercise at intervals throughout the day was a feasible, well-tolerated, and time-efficient approach to improving heart and lung health and reducing the impact of a sedentary lifestyle on cardiometabolic health.
To find out if the activity you are doing counts as vigorous exercise, you do not need any sophisticated devices. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), all you have to do is find out if the activity you are engaged in leads to a situation where you are not able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath.
Researchers say that shorter, more vigorous exercise sessions work for a number of reasons. Firstly, even short bouts of high intensity exercise have health benefits that add up. So exercise snacks can directly improve people’s health. Second, it is proven that prolonged sedentary time is bad for our health, so exercise snacks which are performed throughout the day are likely also beneficial by breaking up sedentary time. Lastly and most importantly, exercise snacks can easily fit into our busy modern lives.
The first step to getting started with ‘exercise snacks’ is to make sure that you are healthy enough for even short bouts of vigorous exercise. People who have cardiovascular diagnoses, such as coronary artery disease, will need to check with their physician before they begin any vigorous physical activity. If you do not have any medical condition that would need a physician’s approval to engage in, then it is easy to pick and try out any of the quick workouts from the hundreds of 10-14 minute exercise routines that are available online.
For those who may be looking for more of a structured workout in the beginning, they could get into high intensity interval training (HIIT) classes. These sessions are fun, expend a lot of energy, and also provide moments of rest and recovery between different training bouts. It is also a time-effective exercise while, at the same time, supporting strength and increasing your strength and endurance.
However, it is not necessary to take a HIIT class or even seek out a specific routine, as long as what you choose is any type of vigorous exercise. Even ordinary house chores are a great way to get your blood pumping. Among such non-traditional exercise activities that are still considered as ‘vigorous activity’ are, sweeping the floor, moving the garden, washing the car, walking up and down stairs, or even playing with kids.
Any moderate physical activity can progress toward high intensity activity depending on the effort exerted during the session. However, the most important element is to find an activity that you enjoy doing for short bursts of time. Regardless of the type of workout, the great thing about ‘exercise snacks’ is that they come in small packs.
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