Imagine living before the internet, flight, cars, electricity, and cities. Most of your day would be spent moving around, hunting for food, and doing activities that ensure survival. Today’s world is very different because of modern living and conveniences. As a result, you no longer have to move so much. In fact, your work may not involve physical labor at all. Unfortunately, that is bad for your body. However, you can help combat the negative effects with activity snacks.
What Are Activity Snacks?
Activity Snacks are short bursts of physical activity. They help get your blood pumping, and they usually don’t take a lot of time. For prolonged periods of sitting, try to take a break every hour or so to do an activity snack. Some examples of activity snacks are:
- A 5-minute brisk walk around the house, office, or neighborhood
- Take the stairs instead of an elevator, or purposely go up and down the stairs a few times
- A couple of minutes of calisthenics, such as jumping jacks, planks, squats, or push-ups
- Run in place or jump rope for two to three minutes
- Desk exercises such as seated leg raises, chair squats, and shoulder roles
- Stretching or yoga poses
Although these short bursts of exercise may seem insignificant, they can add up over time. In fact, incorporating activity snacks into your daily routine can help improve your fitness level. If you don’t exercise now, they can help you start moving more. Once you’re consistently moving, you will begin to feel some of the benefits of exercise.
Why You Should Do Activity Snacks
You can’t be too hard on yourself when you’re not motivated to exercise. There is a lot stacked against you. Evolutionary psychology suggests humans are wired to conserve energy and avoid unnecessary exertion to survive. So, it makes sense that your natural inclination is to choose sedentary activities.
However, sitting or not moving much for prolonged periods can increase your risk of developing health conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and musculoskeletal issues. Activity snacks can help combat these harmful effects. Additionally, short bursts of activity will have a positive impact on you. They can help with those aches and pains, clear your mind, and make you more productive overall.
Do You Need to Do Activity Snacks If You Exercise?
For most healthy adults, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity every week. Even if you exercise for that amount of time, it may not be enough.
A study published in January 2024 on JAMA Network Open focused on prolonged sitting to determine if a level of physical activity can counteract its effects. The study concluded that there wasn’t any significant increase in mortality for those who alternated between sitting and non-sitting. However, those who mostly sit while working had a 16% higher risk of mortality overall and a 34% increase in early death from cardiovascular disease.
To help mitigate the effects of sitting for prolonged periods, the study recommends an additional 15 to 30 minutes of moderate exercise. So, instead of increasing your exercise time, an easy alternative is adding activity snacks throughout your day.
It’s All About Staying Active
You don’t have to run to maintain your endurance or lift weights to improve your strength. If you don’t like to run, bike, play tennis, or football, then don’t do those activities. No amount of motivation or willpower can get you to exercise if you don’t like your workouts. Instead, try something new. Finding exercises you enjoy will help you stay active and have fun while exercising.
Activity snacks can help you move more. However, the more significant message is to find ways to stay active. Establishing a routine that keeps you moving throughout the day and incorporates exercise focusing on strength, endurance, and flexibility training can help maintain your independence and quality of life as you age.
The Takeaway
Exercise may not be enough to combat being sedentary for prolonged periods. Instead, you should incorporate activity snacks to break up your day. They only take a few minutes to do. Not only can they help with those aches and pains, clear your mind, and make you more productive overall, but they can also help mitigate the negative effects of sitting most of the day.
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Disclaimer: No content on this site should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
