PARIS, April 6 — Instead of taking a little break to nibble on something, how about interrupting what you’re doing to get moving? That’s what ‘fitness snacking’ is all about, and it can be an effective way for those with a hectic schedule to keep fit throughout the day.
It’s not always easy to integrate physical activity into a daily schedule with work and personal/family demands taking significant time and energy. It can be a challenge to fit workout sessions, which can be long and intense, into an everyday routine. If that describes your situation, you might find this new concept appealing — ”fitness snacking.”
It has nothing to do with nibbling on little bits of food, as the name suggests. In fact, “fitness snacking” consists of short sessions of physical activity spaced throughout the day. In concrete terms, you divide your physical activity into short sessions of 5 to 15 minutes per day. Whether you do a session when you wake up in the morning, or take a break between meetings, fitness snacking can easily be adapted to your busy schedule.
By splitting up several small exercise sessions throughout the day, you can achieve the same intensity as a more traditional long sports session. What’s more, according to a 2019 American study, these micro-sessions are beneficial for improving cardiorespiratory fitness. Thanks to fitness snacking, you can tone and sculpt your body without too much effort. Furthermore, you don’t necessarily need any equipment or special physical abilities.
To find some exercise ideas, simply type “exercises snacks” in the TikTok search bar. You’ll come across a plethora of videos offering a variety of moves that only take a few minutes to perform. TikToker Lucy Wyndham-Read (lucywyndhamread), for example, suggests ten little exercises to practice on a daily basis. Activities include calf raises in the shower, wall push-ups while waiting for the water to heat up in your kettle, and back lunges while preparing a dish in the kitchen.
@lucywyndhamread 10 Easy Exercise Snacks yiu can do Daily #womenshealth #perimenopause #menopause #health #gettinghealthy original sound - Lucy Wyndham-Read - Fitness
If you want an ordered list of physical activities to do during the day, fitness coach Joe Rolder delivers a whole programme in a video. He suggests starting the day with skipping rope, adding a little cardio by running up the stairs on your way to work, then finishing with stretching before lunch and in the late afternoon. The most important thing is to find your own rhythm by varying the exercises you do, so as to challenge all your muscles. This way, not only can you maintain good health, but you can also have fun exercising. — ETX Studio
