Fitness Trend: Exercise Snacking

By Nicole Maher

Many of us began the new decade with high hopes of our fitness New Year’s resolutions. However, with the shut down of gyms across the country and drastic changes to our daily schedules due to the pandemic, these goals may have appeared unachievable. Faced with these new circumstances, many people began to turn to the new fitness trend of exercise snacking as a way of staying in shape, or beginning their fitness journey. 

Find out some of the benefits of the new fitness trend, exercise snacking.

The question is, what is exercise snacking? Despite its name, it does not involve any food. Instead, exercise snacking refers to the act of breaking down a workout into five minute intervals throughout the day rather than completing it all in one sitting. Learn about the benefits of this new phenomenon:

1. Fits into a busy schedule: Whether we are working, attending classes, or spending time with friends and family, it can be difficult to devote an hour or more to working out during the day. Exercise snacking is a great way of breaking down workouts into smaller sections that you can fit between all the other activities in your day. Moving your body for five minutes before you leave for work or ten minutes before dinner can help you fit working out into your schedule without forcing you to compromise time on something else. 

Related link: Fitness Trends: 5 New Fitness Trends to Keep Up With in 2020

2. Great way to get started: If you are just beginning your fitness journey, exercise snacking is a great way to start. Jumping straight into a two-hour workout when your body is not used to it can sometimes cause more harm than good. By taking part in the fitness trend of exercise snacking, you are allowing your body to warm up to new movements. Over time, you can increase the amount of five-minute circuits you do a day, or transition to longer workout sessions once your body has adapted. 

Related link: Fitness Tips for Working Out While Wearing a Mask

3. Useful addition to existing plans: While exercise snacking is a great way to begin a fitness journey, it does not have as many benefits for those who are already deep into their fitness plans. However, it can still be a useful addition for the days that you can’t make it to the gym or set aside a large amount of time. Rather than forgoing exercise for the entire day, try exercise snacking in the spare time you have between tasks to keep yourself on track for your fitness goals. 

4. Forgo the gym: There are many reasons people choose to avoid the gym. Whether you do not feel comfortable in a gym setting, or are concerned about the current health conditions around us, exercise snacking is the perfect way to workout from home instead. Many of the exercises found in plans surrounding this new fitness trend only require an exercise mat or a few weights, and can easily be accomplished from the comfort of your living room. 

5. Master the moves: Exercise snacking is the perfect way to learn a new move. Rather than switching between exercises every set, you are spending the entire five minutes working on one move. This will allow you to really focus on nailing the move and strengthening that part of your body rather than thinking about what exercise you are going to do next. Once you have this move mastered, it will be much easier to complete in accurately if you eventually move to a longer workout routine!

What are some other benefits to the new fitness trend of exercise snacking? Start a conversation in the comments below!