Exercise Snacks: Small Ways to Move More, Even on Busy Days | Blog 114
You don't need a full hour at the gym or a long walk to move your body and feel better. Sometimes a few minutes is all you have, and that still counts.
Movement
Introduction
I love going to the gym, walking and doing Pilates, but the truth is, some days a full workout just doesn't happen.
Work needs my attention.
The kids need something.
Sometimes I need downtime.
I used to think that if I didn't have time for a proper workout, there was no point doing anything. But I have learnt that movement doesn't have to happen all at once to make a difference to how I feel.
Sometimes I have five minutes.
Sometimes I have two.
Sometimes I simply stand up between work tasks, stretch my body or walk around for a moment.
These little pockets of movement are called exercise snacks. Just like a food snack is smaller than a meal, an exercise snack is a few minutes of movement instead of a full workout.
I love this idea because it works with real life. You simply look for the little pockets of time already there.
I am sharing some of my favourite exercise-snack videos from Instagram. Have a look, try one and see what resonates with you. You don't have to do them all.
Please don't feel you need to buy anything. If you don't have a foam roller, use a rolled-up towel. If you don't have weights, grab two tins from the pantry. Keep it simple.
Why Small Pockets of Movement Work for Me
When I have been sitting for too long, I can feel it in my body and my energy. A short walk, a few squats or a stretch can help me feel more awake and less stiff.
Does it replace every longer workout? No.
I still love the gym, Pilates and walking. Exercise snacks simply help when I can't fit those things in or have been sitting for too long.
Most importantly, they take away the all-or-nothing thinking.
Ten minutes is valuable.
Five minutes is valuable.
Even one minute is better than doing nothing at all.
8 Simple Exercise Snack You Can Try
1. Take a Short Walk
A walk doesn't need to be long or have a step target.
Walk around the block, walk while you are on the phone, park a little further away or go for a quick walk at lunchtime.
A short walk can shift how I feel after sitting for too long.
A question to ask yourself: Where could I add five minutes of walking today?
2 .Do A Few squats or Lunges
You don't need a gym for squats or lunges. You can do them beside your desk, in the kitchen while waiting for something to cook or outside while the kids are playing.
It might be ten squats, a few reverse lunges on each side or standing up from a chair several times.
Choose what feels comfortable for you. You don't have to keep up with the person in the video or do every repetition. Do what your body can manage that day.
3 . Use the Stairs
If stairs are available and feel right for you, walk up and down them once or twice.
At home, at work or while you are out, the stairs are an easy way to add a little more movement without changing clothes or finding equipment.
You don't need to race. Take your time and hold the railing if needed.
4 . Put on a Song and Dance
Dance at work!
Movement doesn't always need to look like exercise.
Put on one song and dance wherever you have space, alone or with your family.
One song is only a few minutes, but it can change your energy. Moving your body doesn't always have to feel like a serious workout.
Maybe don't get up on your desk to dance at work.
5 . Move Between Work Task
This is one I can easily bring into my workday.
When I finish one task, I can stand before beginning the next, walk around for a moment or roll my shoulders.
It only takes a minute, but it gives my body a break from sitting in the same position.
You could use something you already do, like finishing an email or making a cup of tea, as your reminder to get up and move.
Maybe down get up on your desk to dance at work.
6. Try a Quick Strength Snack
Choose two or three simple movements and do them for a few minutes.
For example:
10 squats
10 wall push-ups
10 glute bridges
Do one round and stop, or repeat it if you have more time.
Some days I make it to the gym. Other days, this is all I can fit in at home, and I am okay with that.
7. Let the family Choose the Movement
Movement can also be something you do with your family rather than squeezing it into the day alone.
Let each person choose one movement for one minute. It could be squats, dancing, star jumps, stretching or walking.
For a family of four, that becomes a simple four-minute movement snack. There is no winner and no need to make it complicated.
Just move, have a laugh and spend a few minutes together.
8. Don't Forget About Stretching
Stretching can be its own exercise snack too. You don't always have to work up a sweat for movement to be worthwhile.
Spend a few minutes stretching the parts of your body that feel tight. For me, that is often my neck, shoulders, back and hips, especially after sitting for a long time. You might stretch your calves while waiting for the kettle to boil, gently open your chest after working at a desk or lie on the floor and stretch before bed.
You could also use a foam roller, but you don't need to buy one. A firmly rolled-up towel may give you the support you need. Take your time, breathe and never force a stretch.
Some days, a few gentle stretches are all my body is asking for. Listening to that is just as important as pushing through a workout.
Some of My favouite Instragram Exercise Snack
I have put all the Instagram videos together below. Have a look, choose what feels right for you and make it work for your body.
Choose What Works for You
Please don't read this and think you now have eight more things you should be doing.
That isn't the point.
Choose one idea that feels easy. Stretch between work tasks, walk after lunch, dance to one song or try one of the Instagram videos.
You don't need activewear.
You don't need special equipment.
You don't need to buy anything.
And you don't need to wait until Monday.
Start with the life you have and whatever time you have today.
Even if all you do is lift your heels up and down while sitting for a few minutes after a meal, that is still movement and a simple place to begin.
Another idea is to save a few short movement videos on your phone. Then, whenever you have a spare few minutes, you can choose one and do it wherever you are. No searching, no planning and no pressure. It is already there, ready when you are.
One Reflection
Before you close this blog and get on with your day, ask yourself:
Where is one small pocket in my day where movement could fit naturally?
Not where you think a perfect workout should go.
Not what someone else is doing.
Where could a few minutes of movement actually fit into your life?
Three Gentle Reminders to Leave You With
A few minutes of movement still count.
Movement should support you, not become another pressure.
Find something that works in your real life and that you can come back to.
Hands on your Heart to Pause.
Final Thoughts
I still love having time for the gym, a longer walk or Pilates. But wellness isn't only built in those bigger blocks of time. It is also built when I stand between tasks, stretch instead of staying in my chair or put on a song and move with my family.
Exercise snacks remind me that something doesn't have to be long, expensive or perfect to be worth doing. A few minutes of movement can help me feel better and bring more energy into an ordinary day.
Start small. Keep it simple. And if you miss a day, there is no guilt. Life happens. You can always begin again tomorrow.
I would love to hear from you.
What is your favourite way to fit a little movement into a busy day? You can reply, send me a DM or share this blog with someone who always says they don't have time to exercise.
And if you'd like a gentle two-minute pause each week, I'd love to welcome you into Friday Ritual, where I share reflections, simple practices and what I'm learning on my own wellness journey.
My next blog will be out on 4th October, and this one is a little different. Will share my experience at the retreat I went to last week, it was so much fun!
No pressure. No expectations. Just a reminder that you matter too.
Live your life on purpose.
Until next time,
Mukti🤍
Every Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional and mental states. Carol Welch
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