If long workouts feel intimidating, science now offers an easier — and possibly more effective — alternative. According to a new study published in BMJ Sports Medicine and reported by NBC News, short bursts of deliberate movement, termed “exercise snacks,” can significantly improve fitness levels and help even the most inactive adults take the first step toward a healthier life.
Researchers found that quick, purposeful activities — such as climbing stairs, walking briskly, or lifting small weights — when done a few times a day, can boost both heart and muscle health.
Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, the study’s lead author and a doctoral student in clinical research at the University of Oviedo, Spain, explained to NBC News that time and motivation are the two most common barriers to exercise. “When people are asked why they don’t exercise, the answers are almost always the same — no time and no motivation,” he said. Exercise snacks, he added, are a way to overcome both.
What exactly are ‘exercise snacks’?
An “exercise snack” is defined as any bout of vigorous physical activity lasting under five minutes. The study analyzed data from seven randomized clinical trials involving over 400 adults aged between 18 and 80 who did not exercise regularly.
To qualify, participants needed to perform these mini-workouts at least twice a day on three or more days each week, over a period of four to twelve weeks. Common examples included stair climbing or brief lower-body strengthening routines like tai chi.
Interestingly, stair-climbing proved especially beneficial for adults under 65, while older adults gained endurance through simple, low-impact strength moves. The consistency was striking — about 91% of younger participants and 83% of older ones kept up with their routines.
Fitness gains that start small but grow big
The study found that even these short, concentrated efforts led to marked improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness — the efficiency of the heart and lungs — in younger participants, and muscular endurance among older ones.
Rodríguez noted that “the biggest benefits happen at the very beginning, when someone goes from being inactive to a little bit active. That’s where exercise snacks can really help.”
While the research didn’t find notable changes in blood pressure, cholesterol, or other cardiometabolic markers — outcomes that typically take longer to shift — experts say that the functional benefits alone are substantial. Everyday activities like carrying groceries, climbing stairs, or making the bed become easier and less tiring with just a few weeks of regular movement.
Tiny bursts can spark big changes
Dr. Tamanna Singh, director of the Sports Cardiology Center at Cleveland Clinic, told NBC that these mini workouts can act as a stepping stone to more sustained exercise. “If you do the same snack, for the same amount of time, at the same frequency, your body will get used to it. The exercise snack can be the start of a foundation for more intense exercise,” she said.
Physiologically, even short workouts trigger meaningful adaptations — increasing blood plasma, enhancing oxygen delivery, and strengthening capillary networks that remove waste from muscles. “Within a couple of weeks, the body begins to change, making longer or more intense workouts easier,” Singh explained.
Small moves, big impact
Carol Ewing Garber, a professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College who wasn’t part of the study, told NBC that most people underestimate how easy it can be to fit these micro workouts into daily life. “Most of us could probably find these five-minute bouts of time in our day — to walk around the building we work in, or up and down the stairs. We just don’t think we can,” she said.
So, the next time you think you need an hour at the gym to stay fit, think again. A few short, intentional movements — those “exercise snacks” scattered throughout your day — could be the smarter, more achievable way to keep your heart and muscles healthy.
As Singh summed it up, “Anything is better than nothing. Use that as a base — hopefully these exercise snacks will make people want to have an exercise meal.”
Researchers found that quick, purposeful activities — such as climbing stairs, walking briskly, or lifting small weights — when done a few times a day, can boost both heart and muscle health.
Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, the study’s lead author and a doctoral student in clinical research at the University of Oviedo, Spain, explained to NBC News that time and motivation are the two most common barriers to exercise. “When people are asked why they don’t exercise, the answers are almost always the same — no time and no motivation,” he said. Exercise snacks, he added, are a way to overcome both.
What exactly are ‘exercise snacks’?
An “exercise snack” is defined as any bout of vigorous physical activity lasting under five minutes. The study analyzed data from seven randomized clinical trials involving over 400 adults aged between 18 and 80 who did not exercise regularly.
To qualify, participants needed to perform these mini-workouts at least twice a day on three or more days each week, over a period of four to twelve weeks. Common examples included stair climbing or brief lower-body strengthening routines like tai chi.
Interestingly, stair-climbing proved especially beneficial for adults under 65, while older adults gained endurance through simple, low-impact strength moves. The consistency was striking — about 91% of younger participants and 83% of older ones kept up with their routines.
Fitness gains that start small but grow big
The study found that even these short, concentrated efforts led to marked improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness — the efficiency of the heart and lungs — in younger participants, and muscular endurance among older ones.
Rodríguez noted that “the biggest benefits happen at the very beginning, when someone goes from being inactive to a little bit active. That’s where exercise snacks can really help.”
While the research didn’t find notable changes in blood pressure, cholesterol, or other cardiometabolic markers — outcomes that typically take longer to shift — experts say that the functional benefits alone are substantial. Everyday activities like carrying groceries, climbing stairs, or making the bed become easier and less tiring with just a few weeks of regular movement.
Tiny bursts can spark big changes
Dr. Tamanna Singh, director of the Sports Cardiology Center at Cleveland Clinic, told NBC that these mini workouts can act as a stepping stone to more sustained exercise. “If you do the same snack, for the same amount of time, at the same frequency, your body will get used to it. The exercise snack can be the start of a foundation for more intense exercise,” she said.
Physiologically, even short workouts trigger meaningful adaptations — increasing blood plasma, enhancing oxygen delivery, and strengthening capillary networks that remove waste from muscles. “Within a couple of weeks, the body begins to change, making longer or more intense workouts easier,” Singh explained.
Small moves, big impact
Carol Ewing Garber, a professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College who wasn’t part of the study, told NBC that most people underestimate how easy it can be to fit these micro workouts into daily life. “Most of us could probably find these five-minute bouts of time in our day — to walk around the building we work in, or up and down the stairs. We just don’t think we can,” she said.
So, the next time you think you need an hour at the gym to stay fit, think again. A few short, intentional movements — those “exercise snacks” scattered throughout your day — could be the smarter, more achievable way to keep your heart and muscles healthy.
As Singh summed it up, “Anything is better than nothing. Use that as a base — hopefully these exercise snacks will make people want to have an exercise meal.”
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