Exercise Snacking: Fitness On The Go

Discover the potential of bite-sized workouts to boost cardiovascular health and longevity.

Disclaimer: This article is meant for educational and informational purposes only and should not be substituted for professional advice. Please consult a doctor and/or exercise professional before starting any fitness routine.

If your New Year's resolution is to get fit in 2025, you might want to consider this workout hack that can accommodate any schedule.

The latest trend in the fitness world is (drum roll, please)... exercise snacks. No, not granola bars or protein shakes, but bite-sized high-intensity movements that you can easily treat yourself to throughout your day. 

Cleveland Clinic defines exercise snacks as "high-intensity movement or exercise that typically lasts for no more than two minutes." Think stair climbing, jumping jacks, chair squats, pushups—movements that would make it difficult to continue talking while performing the exercise. 

While conventional wisdom might suggest that pumping it in the gym for an hour-long workout might make you "harder, better, faster, stronger" (Daft Punk, anyone?), recent research suggests that we don't necessarily need a grueling sweat session to start to reap the benefits of exercise. 

A summary of the current literature around exercise snacks published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine showed that "exercise snacks showed significant benefits on cardiorespiratory fitness, including decreased total cholesterol, increased oxygen consumption, and overall cardiovascular function." Exercise snacks can also help us live longer and well. A 2022 study done in the UK concluded that "small amounts of vigorous nonexercise physical activity are associated with substantially lower mortality." 

Just how little exercise does it take to see a difference?  This UK study published in October 2024 showed that among non-exercising women, even just 3.4 minutes of vigorous activity a day were associated with substantially lower risk of all major cardiac events, including heart failure and stroke.

Exercise snacks are great for starting a new habit or adding to your existing fitness routine as they can be peppered in throughout the day. You can jog up the stairs instead of taking the elevator at your workplace, for example, or do some squats after a Zoom meeting to get you out of your chair and back on your feet.

Singapore's Physical Activity Guidelines set by Sport Singapore and the Health Promotion Board recommend at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, and to strengthen muscles, bones and joints through different activities, at moderate or vigorous intensity, at least two days a week. 

If this number sounds daunting, it's not just you -- the National Population Health Survey 2023 revealed that roughly one in five Singapore residents (21.5%) did not engage in sufficient total physical activity. The most popular New Year’s resolution in Singapore, according to a 2024 survey by YouGov, is improving physical health (you can read our article on science-backed tips to hack your New Year's resolutions here).

Exercise snacks can help us reduce sedentary behaviour and sprinkle a bit more exercise throughout our day. You don’t need to change into fancy gym clothes and carve out time for a lengthy fitness class to start seeing results. 

According to a Stanford Lifestyle Medicine blog post featuring Dr. Marily Oppezzo, certified personal trainer and head of Stanford Lifestyle Medicine Healthful Nutrition pillar, recent research even indicates that "exercise snacks performed throughout the day may be more beneficial than a one-hour stint at the gym after sitting all day."

As an informal experiment, I decided to try out exercise snacking for a few days to see what effect they would have, if any, on my overall mood and energy levels. I set a timer every one or two hours where possible to do two minutes of wall pushups, squats, or other movements to get my heart pumping. 

Dragging myself from my work computer to go take an exercise snack was difficult at first, but I started looking forward to these mini-workouts. I alternated between wall pushups, squats, and jumping jacks. Getting my blood flowing actually made me more productive. I suggest stretching and warming up before going all in though–I nearly hurt my ankle going straight from sitting to doing jumping jacks!

Learn More About the Human Body at Dialogue with Time

Exercise snacks can “make physical activity more palatable”, as this BBC Science Focus piece puts it. Building up an exercise habit is especially important for improving longevity. Visit Science Centre Singapore’s Dialogue with Time exhibitto learn what happens to our skin, bones, and muscles as we progress in age and embrace ageing. Hear stories from our senior volunteer guides, interact with exhibits on the biological and physiological sides of ageing, and debunk common stereotypes in our nostalgic kopitiam setting while fostering inclusivity. Tickets available here. Let's get moving!

Written by Jamie Uy
Photo collages created using Canva

Last updated 20 Jan 2024