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Exercise less, more often

In the UK, most of us don’t meet the physical activity guidelines – 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week can seem like a serious challenge. Wouldn’t it be ideal if we could just fit in all the exercise we need to do in the week into five- or ten-minute bursts and get the same benefits? A little stair-climbing here, some moderate-intensity cycling there, a quick fast-paced walk at lunchtime.

Research has revealed that doing multiple, short bursts of exercise during the day could match the health and fitness benefits of one long session.

In Just One Thing, Michael Mosley talks to Dr Marie Murphy at Ulster University to find out all about a new exercise trend which has taken the scientific world by storm: “exercise snacking”. Research has revealed that doing multiple, short bursts of exercise during the day could match the health and fitness benefits of one long session, with some studies even suggesting it could help you burn more calories and lose more weight.

How does it work?

Dr Murphy has been researching the concept of exercise snacking since it first emerged. She explains that when we break up exercise into smaller chunks, it increases the number of times we’re stimulating our metabolism. “When we stop exercising, our metabolism keeps going a little bit quicker while we recover,” she explains. “You still have that metabolic mill turning a little bit quicker.” Over the course of the day or week, this might lead to us expending more energy than we would have in one long session.

This might be the reason why a recent analysis of numerous individual studies found that breaking up moderate-intensity exercise into bite-sized chunks was actually better at reducing participants’ weight, body fat and their levels of LDL cholesterol. And it was just as good as a single bout of exercise on both cardiorespiratory fitness and blood pressure.

But it’s not only busting fat, reducing blood pressure and lowering cholesterol that exercise snacking is good for. Dr Murphy explains that when we exercise, we contract our muscles, and in the process, glucose moves from the blood and into muscle. One study found that people with type 2 diabetes who were asked to do just six, one-minute bouts of vigorous exercise had better control of their blood sugar levels not only on that day, but also for the 24 hours following! This particular mechanism maintains better control over our blood sugar, and in the long run, may help reduce our risk of type 2 diabetes.

Every minute counts

Perhaps the best news is that every little bit counts. “We used to tell people to try to do it in 10-minute bouts,” says Dr Murphy. “But looking at the more recent evidence, it seems to be that almost any length of exercise will count. The key message here is every single minute counts. And so even if you've only got a minute, you can still use that wisely to accumulate towards that 30-minute target.”

Getting your heart rate up is especially beneficial, and is a sure sign you’re exercising at moderate intensity. If you feel warm, and are breathing harder, you’re on the right track. And keeping to this intensity will bolster the benefits. “What I would be advising people to do is to try to find something that you can fit into a busy lifestyle. And something that doesn't require a lot of extra equipment or changing time.”

Give the lift a miss

Looking for a good bout of exercise that’s easy to fit in? “I think stair climbing is definitely a winner,” says Dr Marie Murphy. Her research found that just two minutes of stair climbing over the course of a day, over an eight week period, could improve resting blood pressure and fats in the blood.

If you’re short on time, exercise snacking could be the solution you’ve been seeking. Just keep adding short bursts to your everyday routine and suddenly, hitting that weekly target of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise won’t seem so far away.

To learn more, listen to Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley: Exercise Less, More Often