This month we’re talking about movement snacks and tackling our fitness goals one bite at a time. Simply put, movement snacks are short (1 to 10 minute) bursts of movement that break up periods of inactivity.
There’s a lot of hype claiming that movement snacks have the power to make you happier and healthier if you pepper them throughout your day. So, is it possible to make progress toward your fitness goals by nibbling away at them throughout the day? The short answer is yes, absolutely!
Research has shown that “There is no difference between continuous and accumulated patterns of exercise in terms of effects on fitness, blood pressure, lipids, insulin and glucose.” In other words, movement snacks meaningfully impact our health and well being in positive ways just like longer exercise sessions do.
Benefits of integrating movement snacks into your day
- Boosted metabolism
- Lifted mood
- Better energy
- Improved cardiovascular fitness
- Enhanced mental clarity and focus
- Reduced muscle and joint stiffness and pain
- Anxiety relief
Tips for getting started
- Look for body cues and respond with any kind of movement that feels natural.
- Losing focus? Take a walk.
- Feeling stiff? Stretch.
- Feeling low energy? Turn on some music and dance.
- Start with something that feels too easy not to do.
- Switch things up as needed to keep it interesting.
- Invite good company to join in (pets, family, coworkers, friends).
- Make it doable first, optimize later.
Movement snacks are for everyone. Whether you’re in the most sedentary chapter of your life or you’re making time to exercise regularly, breaking up periods of inactivity with movement snacks of any kind will benefit you. If it gets you moving when you would otherwise be inactive, it counts.
Shout Outs
Shout out to Jess, who just hit a new personal record: 17 reps at 35 pounds on the tibialis raise. That’s the kind of quiet progress that adds up to a body that works better every single day.
Shout out to Amber, who stepped up her wall ball squats from 24 to 30 pound dumbbells. That jump takes real strength and real commitment.
And a shout out to a client who upped his weight on hip flexor raises this week. Small plates add up to big results over time.
A Note From Caleb
If you know me you already know that I’m not really the social media influencer type. But recently I was challenged to film movement snacks to support this community.
In order to film content like this I have to stay clear on my why, which is that I want to help you move better, feel stronger, and stay active. People who stay active both in and outside the gym have better fitness outcomes, and movement snacks are an easy, convenient way to build more movement into your day.
Follow along on Instagram for the mini movement snack series.
Ready for a program tailored to your needs and goals? Every new client starts with a $79 intro session: book yours here.
Keep moving,
Caleb