Why it might be better to exercise less, but more often

If you’re short on time to hit the gym, we have good news.

Recent research has come up with a possible solution to your problem: exercise snacks.

The name in English refers to the small snacks we usually have throughout the day — and the proposal is exactly this: divide your daily exercise quota into small parts.

This practice can be as—or even more—beneficial as a single 30-minute bout of physical activity a day.

Just include 5-10 minute breaks of some activity that raises your heart rate into your routine, and you’ll soon see the benefits.

Less time, more frequency

For many people, the UK Public Health System (NHS) recommendation to engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week may seem like a Herculean challenge.

“Time is the number one excuse people give for not exercising,” says Marie Murphy, a professor of exercise and health at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland who has researched the concept of exercise snacking since it appeared, about six years ago.

So the idea of ​​doing small sessions of exercise throughout the day can make it easier to fit this healthy habit into your routine — especially if you don’t exercise regularly.

“Essentially, it’s the same thing. You’re still increasing the heart rate, you’re stimulating the circulation, you’re activating various enzymes that help with metabolism and (control) your blood sugar. The only difference is you’re doing it three times. (daily) in short sessions,” she says.

You can start by climbing a few flights of stairs here, taking a moderate-intensity bike ride there, and a brief brisk walk around lunchtime.

And not only is it easier to do short sets of exercise, it’s more effective than a long workout.

Research shows that doing several short intervals of exercise throughout the day can match the health and fitness benefits of one long session, with some studies even suggesting it can help you burn more calories and lose more weight.

Why does it happen?

Murphy explains that when we break up exercise into several small sessions, it increases the number of times we are stimulating our metabolism.

“Because when we stop exercising, our metabolism continues a little bit faster for a while while we recover (…) You still get that metabolic mill turning a little faster,” he says.

“So if we do that three times a day, say, ten minutes (of exercise) each time, that’s probably going to result in more energy expenditure than doing (a single session of) 30 minutes.”

Plus, splitting up the workout also means you should be able to work out at a higher intensity.

These may be the reasons why a broad review of studies conducted in 2019 showed that breaking physical activity down into smaller sessions was more effective at reducing participants’ weight, body fat, and LDL cholesterol levels (the bad cholesterol). —as well as being as beneficial for cardiorespiratory fitness and blood pressure as a single long session.

But the benefits of exercise snacking don’t stop there.

In a small study of people with type 2 diabetes, researchers compared the effects of half an hour of moderate-intensity walking before dinner to just six minutes of intense walking divided into one-minute sessions.

Those who practiced exercise snacking lowered their blood sugar levels after a meal, not just that day but for the next 24 hours—with the others, neither happened.

Murphy explains that exercise often uses glucose for fuel — and when we contract our muscles, we activate some enzymes that allow glucose to pass from the blood to the muscles for use.

“This mechanism helps us control our blood sugar level, and likely to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the long term,” she says.

There is also evidence that the exercise snacking may have a greater impact on blood pressure.

“There is some evidence from some studies, one of them by colleagues in Japan, where they wore a blood pressure monitor all day. They looked at the effects of short (exercise) sessions spread over a day and a single session ( exercise). And they found that collectively, the blood pressure lowering benefit of each walk added together was greater than the blood pressure lowering benefit of just one walk.”

every minute counts

And is there a minimum duration time for each session of exercise snacking?

Perhaps the best news is that every minute of exercise counts.

“We used to tell people to try this in 10-minute sessions. But looking at the latest evidence, it seems that pretty much any duration of exercise counts,” says Murphy.

“The main message here is that every minute counts. So even if you only have one minute, you can still use it wisely to add up toward your 30-minute goal.”

Raising your heart rate is especially beneficial — and it’s a sure sign that you’re exercising at a moderate intensity. If you feel hot and are panting, you are on the right track. And maintaining this intensity will increase the benefits.

But the specialist remembers that the simple act of “moving is better than sitting”.

“What I would advise people to do is try to find something they can fit into a busy lifestyle. And something that doesn’t require a lot of extra equipment or time to change,” he suggests.

Say goodbye to the elevator

Are you thinking about what would be a good exercise session to fit into your routine?

“I think climbing stairs is definitely the champ,” recommends Murphy.

Research conducted by one of his PhD students showed that just two minutes of climbing stairs throughout the day, over an eight-week period, can improve resting blood pressure and blood lipid levels.

“A small amount of exercise, two minutes a day, provided a health benefit that you might not get from longer, gentler exercise,” he notes.

So if you’re short on time, exercise snacking It might be the solution you were looking for.

By adding small doses of exercise to your daily routine, it may not seem that far off reaching your goal of 150 minutes a week.

*In the BBC Radio 4 series Just One Thing, doctor Michael Mosley discusses in different episodes what you could do for your health if you had only one choice.

Read other stories in the series here: