I love a five-minute workout video. What I don’t love is when the clickbait YouTube title promises this video will “transform my body.” Can’t I work out for five minutes just for the sake of moving my body? Why is fitness culture always so “all-or-nothing?”
Before I started running marathons, I was someone who simply worked a few squats into my day here and there. These brief bursts of movement—call it “exercise snacking” or “micro-movement”—are a great way to get into more consistent physical activity. Even if you don’t have bigger fitness goals, performing exercise “snacks” are valuable in their own right. Because when it comes to physical activity, something is always better than nothing.
What is exercise snacking?
When I say “exercise snacking,” I’m referring to short bouts of physical activity scattered throughout your day, typically lasting anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. Unlike traditional workouts that require dedicated time, special equipment, or a trip to the gym, exercise snacks fit seamlessly into your existing routine. They might include a set of squats while your coffee brews, wall push-ups during a work break, or calf raises while standing in line.
The concept challenges the conventional wisdom that exercise must be sustained and structured to really “count.” Instead, it embraces the reality of modern life: Most people struggle to find 30 consecutive minutes for fitness, but nearly everyone has scattered pockets of time they’re already spending on routine tasks.
The science behind short bursts of activity
Research increasingly supports the effectiveness of these brief movement sessions. Studies have demonstrated that exercise snacks improve glucose control, helping regulate blood sugar levels throughout the day. They’ve also been shown to reduce blood pressure, enhance strength when performed consistently, and boost cognitive function across adult populations.
“Short bouts of movement throughout the day can improve energy, circulation, and blood sugar regulation, and they’re especially powerful when paired with habit stacking to build consistency, ” says Nora Minno, a registered dietitian and personal trainer.
Perhaps most importantly, these micro-workouts are highly accessible. Research shows they’re well-tolerated across different fitness levels and age groups, making them an inclusive approach to fitness. Participants in various studies consistently report improved mood and energy levels, even from sessions lasting just a few minutes.
Can micro-workouts deliver real results?
The honest answer depends on what you mean by “results.” Exercise snacking is a proven strategy for reducing sedentary behavior and improving overall health markers. If your goal is to feel better, move more, regulate blood sugar, or simply establish a foundation of physical activity, micro-workouts can absolutely deliver tangible results.
However, if you’re imagining a dramatic weight loss transformation, it’s important to adjust your expectations. “While micro-workouts alone won’t replace longer training sessions for specific performance goals,” Minno says, “they can deliver real health benefits and can create momentum toward a more active lifestyle.”
If you’re training for a marathon, building significant muscle mass, or pursuing sport-specific performance, you’ll still need dedicated, longer training sessions. But for general health—namely breaking the cycle of sedentary living—exercise snacks are a great way to approach your fitness journey.
How to use habit stacking with exercise snacking
“One of the biggest barriers I see is the belief that a workout requires a lot of time or preparation to be worthwhile,” Minno says. “As a result, people miss the short windows they already have because they don’t feel ready to start.” It’s a major mental barrier, the feeling like you wouldn’t even know how to start incorporating exercise snacks into your daily routine. One of the most effective strategies for making exercise snacking work is habit stacking, which boils down to attaching new behaviors to existing routines.
“Habit stacking is all about linking a new action with something you already do, making it easier to stay on track,” says Lannay Dale-Tooze, a personal trainer at Gymshark. “We all have daily habits, like brushing our teeth, putting on shoes before heading out, or watching TV after dinner. If you attach a new habit to something you’re already doing, it’s easier to make it stick.” I know that for me, habit stacking is like a sneaky workaround to always have endless willpower or motivation. Instead, you only need to create a little space for movement in your existing routines.
Practical exercise snacks you can start today
Whatever your fitness levels, there are plenty of ways movement can be woven into your life:
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Stretch while watching TV. A mini-stretching routine is a great way to improve and protect your mobility. A few years ago my colleague Beth Skwarecki took us on her journey to get into stretching, and I highly recommend the routine she settled on here.
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Posture work while listening to your favorite podcast. Roll your shoulders up and back five times, tuck your chin in and down, or rest your forearm on the doorframe at a 90-degree angle to stretch tight chest muscles against a doorframe.
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Squat while your food heats up. Next time you boil the kettle or microwave leftovers, take the opportunity to fire up your glutes with a quick set of 10 body weight squats. This will activate your quads and hamstrings, boosting blood flow and reducing stiffness from sitting.
Pacing on work calls, following a five-minute pilates video, doing lunges on your way to the restroom—a little something is better than nothing.
Exercise snacking certainly can’t replace traditional workouts entirely. But for anyone intimated by the gym or struggling to find the time to work out, this is a way to make physical activity more accessible and sustainable. The research is clear: these brief bouts of activity can improve your strength, mood, and energy. They’re time-efficient, require minimal equipment, and can be performed almost anywhere. Most importantly, exercise snacking challenges the harmful narrative that fitness is all-or-nothing. It recognizes that movement exists on a spectrum, and every bit counts.
