Exercise snacking; you have probably heard that popping up in the news or online and unfortunately it does not involve food snacks! Exercise snacking is short bursts or periods of activity spread throughout the day.
An exercise snack can be any activity such as high knees or squats. The time is short, hence the name snack and can be as little as 30 seconds and usually up to 5 minutes (with some snacks being longer). The intensity needs to be moderate to intense for the exercise snacks.
But is it worth the hype, is it actually good for us?
Exercise snacking is time efficient. We are always short on time and there is so much to fit in that a 60 minute exercise session plus getting ready and there and back from the gym is just not achievable for most people consistently. Therefore, 5 minutes spread out throughout the day is achievable for all, consistently!
No planning really needed, no change of clothes, no trip to the gym, just 5 minutes, anytime, anywhere. Not only is it time efficient but as it’s so easy to do consistently, exercise adherence is likely to be high. You can choose the exercise you like and cover strength and cardio.
As we said, the intensity needs to be moderate or high. Obviously this is the criteria as duration is short. This intensity may not be suitable for some who are only able to complete light intensity or have health conditions. But completing exercise snacks, regardless of intensity will still benefit the participant as it breaks up sedentary time and gets the body moving. improving flexibility and mobility. However to get the cardiorespiratory benefits, the intensity needs to be moderate or intense.
Many studies have looked at the benefits of exercise snacking. A meta study on behalf of the British Heart Foundation (BHF) from 11 studies across the world were evaluated. The studies used 5 minutes or less at least twice a week. In all studies, cardiorespiratory fitness increased between 4.6% and 17%. These results were similar to studies comparing brisk walking on cardiorespiratory fitness. One limitation of the results was that cardiac risk factors did not improve with the studies i.e. weight and blood pressure. Upon analysis this may be as the participants were healthy already with healthy parameters.
Some studies have looked at whether cardiorespiratory function is the only fitness component to improve with exercise snacking. Muscular endurance has been investigated in multiple studies, however more research is needed to definitively say it is improved.
One area that cannot be disputed is that exercise snacking reduces sedentary time whether you are at home or work. Long commutes or desk jobs or even the great British weather can mean we spend large amounts of our day sitting. Sedentary time has many adverse effects on our health.
Exercise snacking throughout the day can break up this time and mean that we get health benefits without the pressure of fitting in a structured workout. Exercise snacks still need a little consideration as other commuters or your boss may look at you strangely if you suddenly start doing push ups! This can be solved with a little planning and using a coffee break, lunch break or even toilet break to fit in your goals.
A benefit of exercise snacking that may be overlooked by most people reading this but still important to everyone is the reduction in falls. Keeping muscle mass as we age can be difficult due to a multitude of factors, however adapting the exercise snack to focus on strength such as squats, lunges, calf raises etc, could help an ageing person in your life maintain their balance, reduce the risk of falls and very importantly, maintain their independence.
One last area that springs to mind is the psychological benefit of exercise snacking. As with all exercise, we have an Increase in endorphins. The short burst of movement releases endorphins which make us feel good. Our alertness is increased helping us with work or day to day thought processing. As the exercise snacks are short and require less planning, this can mean less motivation is required but the action still leads to an increase in confidence.
How to do exercise snacking
So now we know what it is and the benefits it can have for us, how do we get started…
Quick tips and key facts:
Example exercise snacks: Squats 30 seconds, Taking the stairs 1-2 minutes, press ups 30 seconds, high knees 30s, 5 minutes dancing, brisk walking 5 minutes
Duration and Intensity: 30 seconds – 5 minutes (can be longer). Moderate – intense intensity
Frequency: Studies vary due to different length of exercise snacks. Mainly to break up sedentary time. 2-3 + times a day.
Total time: As little as 5 minutes a day! Or even less, depending on duration and intensity.
Consistency: As with all exercise, consistency is key, 4-12 weeks can improve cardiorespiratory fitness.
References:
Bupa. Exercise Snacking and Health
British Heart Foundation (BHF) (2025). Can ‘exercise snacking’ every day help you get fitter?
