Is life getting in the way of your workouts? It definitely does for me at times and I’m a trainer!
On days when I am non-stop with work and life, it is hard to find time for even a 20 minute workout. That’s why I am all about SNACK SIZE WORKOUTS! Mini workouts that take no more than 5 minutes.
In order to achieve these snack size workouts, we first need to forget our current ideologies about exercise. That is:
1.Workout attire is not necessary.
2.There is no need for a “gym” type setting or equipment.
3.Your exercise time does not need to be consecutive throughout the day.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, "...adults need at least 150 mins per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic exercise." They also recommend strength training twice a week.
That’s a lot of time for someone who barely has time to eat lunch during the day.
Rather than give up exercising altogether, we can break down the recommended exercise time to smaller more doable times that are SNACK SIZE!
All you need is 4 - 5minute segments of dedicated workout time throughout your day in order to experience similar health benefits as you would performing a single bout of exercise. However, the snack size workouts should be focused and increase your heart rate.
Not sure how you would incorporate these snack size workouts?
Here is what your day could possibly look like:
5 minutes of squats and planks as your morning coffee brews
5 minutes of side steps or fast pacing while waiting for your train or bus. Try jumping jacks while you wait with your kids for the school bus.
Late afternoon coffee break, no more! Try push-ups and/or a walk outside followed by a glass of water and a piece of fruit. Another 5 minutes there!
Complete your day with side lunges and bicycle curls as your children are bathing.
YOU DID IT!
Forget the rules about what we think exercise should look like. Instead, take a look at your daily routine and find those moments, those pockets of time that aren’t really benefiting you or anyone else and squeeze in 5 minutes of heart pounding movement. The benefits are enormous: lower blood pressure, decrease risk of Type 2 diabetes, more energy, less stress and more focus during the day.
If you can’t find the time, just call me and I will help you find it.
Great read! I love the idea of snack size workouts. It makes the sometimes daunting task of getting a workout in so much less daunting. As a group fitness/yoga instructor for the last 20 years I always taught classes that were at least 60 mins. I mean who has time for that?! I would be away from the house and my family for at least 2 hours with the travel time and then having to set up for my class. The pandemic has certainly changed that for me. I started doing shorter workouts at home like 10-30 minutes at a time. I found out that you can still get a great workout in and not have had to block out…