No, not snacking while exercising! Perhaps it is time to stop questioning the impact of short workouts: exercise snacks are bouts of ≤1 minute intense exercise done periodically throughout the day with a mission to intervene in sedentary behavior. Sedentary behavior has been associated with an array of health conditions, including obesity and metabolic syndrome (high blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol and unhealthy abdominal fat).

Study Summary

These intense bouts of exercise were shown to:

• Improve markers of cardiorespiratory fitness
• Improve blood insulin, glucose and lipids
• Improve vascular function

The Hearty Take

At Hearty we enjoy exercise snacks – just one minute of your time (albeit in an intense fashion) – and the benefits help reduce the negative effects of sedentary behavior. We recommend that you intervene in time spent sitting by reminding yourself to get up and exercise regularly. Check out apps like Office Hours - Fitness at Work and StandApp or even wearables like Garmin or Fitbit’s that feed you reminders to stand, do some burpees or high-knee in-place – even if just for a minute.