A recent study revealed that only a few minutes of movement can strengthen your cardiac health by “exercise snacking.”
Exercise snacking includes quick flashes of performing exercises that fit into your day, such as taking the stairs or doing a few squats.
According to research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, these short bursts of exercises can significantly contribute in enhancing heart and lung fitness, particularly for individuals who follow sedentary lifestyles.
For the study, researchers assessed 11 clinical trials involving over 400 inactive adults. Participants were randomly assigned to “exercise snack” for up to 12 weeks or follow the usual routine.
The short bursts of exercises involved moderate to vigorous activity lasting five minutes or done multiple times a day.
Results indicated that participants who followed “exercise snacking” experienced enhanced cardiorespiratory fitness—a key measure of how efficiently the heart and lungs deliver oxygen.
However, no major changes in blood pressure, weight, cholesterol, adherence was comparatively higher— over 82% stuck with it.
Researchers highlighted the significance of performing exercises, since lack of time and motivation are major barriers to exercise.
And in a world where one-third of teens and adults follow a sedentary lifestyle, these quick and bite-size workouts may be an easy way to stay fit.
