That’s where the idea of “bite-sized workouts” offers a very doable solution. These exercise sessions that last minutes can be spread throughout the day and can be squeezed into the busiest schedule. It’s an approach to physical activity that dismantles the standard exercise formula but still offers many of the same powerful benefits.
Old Advice
Ironically, as revolutionary as this idea is to our 21st-century mindsets, it’s actually an approach that is as old as humanity and more closely mimics the active lifestyles practiced in those areas of the world where life expectancy is the longest and chronic disease is the lowest—the Blue Zones.In these areas, which include Okinawa, Japan, and Sardinia, Italy, the vibrant senior population generally doesn’t go to the gym for exercise. They also don’t invest in weightlifting equipment for their basements, personal trainers, or dietary supplements. In fact, they don’t even necessarily make a point of “exercising” at all. Instead, substantial amounts of low-tech physical activity are a routine part of their day-to-day lives. In the Blue Zones, extensive walking is common, as are gardening, tending animals, and other household chores that require physical exertion.
Modern Appeal
Interestingly, recent research supports this approach to exercise. A meta-analysis published in the October 2019 edition of Sports Medicine compared the health benefits of a single long exercise session with those of multiple short bouts of exercise that amounted to the “same total duration, mode, and intensity of exercise” over the course of a day and found that “adults are likely to accrue similar health benefits from exercising in a single bout or accumulating activity from shorter bouts throughout the day.”The results were surprising. The study authors reported that “15 minutes per week [of VPA] was associated with a 16 to 18 percent lower all-cause and cancer mortality risk, and 20 minutes per week was associated with a 40 percent lower CVD mortality risk.” And with increased vigorous activity came an increased chance of longevity: 53 minutes of VPA resulted in a 36 percent lowered risk of death from any cause.
Study author Matthew N. Ahmadi of the University of Sydney told The Epoch Times, “These were very encouraging findings, as it highlights the potential health-enhancing benefits that can be obtained through short bursts of activity that don’t necessarily have to be long and sustained periods of exercise only.”
Mr. Ahmadi added: “The appeal of these short bursts is that they can be done through our everyday activities and do not require any specialized equipment or facilities. For the average person who has limited or no leisure time to dedicate to long workouts, they can still gain substantial health benefits through activities they are already doing in their everyday life if they are able to increase the intensity or pace in short bursts throughout the day. Any activity that makes a person ‘huff and puff’ or gets the heart rate elevated is contributing towards accumulating these health-enhancing bursts of activity.”
Try It Yourself
Certified personal trainer and co-founder of GarageGymPro.com Andrew White offers five exercise “snacks” that virtually anyone can do—and that take less than five minutes each.Desk Chair Squats
How to Do It: Stand up from your chair, then lower your body back down, stopping right before you sit back down. Aim for 1 to 2 minutes of continuous chair squats.
Stair Climbing
How to Do It: Find a flight of stairs and go up and down for 3 to 5 minutes.Wall Push-Ups
How to Do It: Stand a few feet away from a wall, place your hands flat against it, and perform push-ups. Do this for 1 to 2 minutes.
Seated Leg Lifts
How to Do It: While sitting, straighten one or both legs and hold in place for a few seconds, then lower the leg(s) back to the ground. Do this for 2 to 3 minutes.
Jumping Jacks
How to Do It: Perform jumping jacks for 1 to 2 minutes. This classic exercise is quick and easy to do.Benefits: Jumping jacks are a full-body workout that helps improve cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance.
