The power of workout “snacks”

Heck yeah! Everyone loves a yummy snack while working out! Unfortunately, that’s not what I’m talking about here. Workout “snacks” are essentially mini workouts you do throughout the day, the same way you would with a snack.

Put another way, if your normal 60-90 minute workouts are “meals,” a set of bodyweight push-ups and bodyweight squats would be a “snack.” So put down that processed snack you are about to eat, and have a workout “snack” instead!

Daily activity is just as important as working out

If you’re someone who cares about your health, you probably exercise at-home or at the gym 1-3x per week. Go you! That’s awesome.

The issue is, like most people, you probably are fairly sedentary outside of that 1-3 hours of exercise time, which is a problem. You’re better off working out and living a sedentary lifestyle than not working out and living a sedentary lifestyle, but it’s not as much better as you’d think.

Daily activity is just as important as your workouts. Walking, doing chores, shoveling the driveway (if you live in the north like me), and standing regularly are all examples of daily activity. These “normal” activities are becoming less and less normal. With inventions that help make our lives easier like dishwashers, washer and dryers, snow plows, chairs, etc, we are doing less and less stuff. Which is a huge detriment to our health!

The average person is now sitting for a majority of their wakeful hours, and unless you sleep walk, you’re probably on your butt for another 6-9 hours! That’s more than 3/4s of your life that your on your butt!

That’s where workout snacks come in handy. They promote more daily activity. So instead of scrolling on your phone for 10-15 minutes after having lunch, go for a brisk walk around the office; instead of crashing on the couch and watching 3-4 episodes, go do the dishes or play with your toddler; instead of sitting at your desk chair for eight hours at work, get a standing desk or do some push-ups/squats every 45 or so minutes.

The goal here is to promote activity throughout the day so that we avoid the negative side effects of a sedentary lifestyle: obesity, diabetes, achy joints, back pain, poor posture, more sickness and disease, etc.

Busy people should “eat” lots of workout “snacks!”

Workout “snacks” are great for everyone, but even better for people that are super busy. Like you, mom of 3 under 3, getting to the gym is a no can do for you, but doing a few workout “snacks” throughout the day while the kids are napping or playing is doable!

Or you, CEO of XYZ firm, between meetings, drop down and give me 20 push-ups and 20 squats! Your brain will thank me, too! Exercise improves cognitive performance like memory and recall. You’ll feel sharper when you take periodic workout “snack” breaks.

If getting to the gym is impossible, use these workout “snacks” as your weekly exercise. Doing a set of 10-20 push-ups and squats doesn’t seem like enough, but what if you’re doing it 3-4x per day? That’s between 30-80 push-ups and squats per day, 210-560 push-ups per week! I’m sure that’s a lot more than you are currently doing!

Workout “snacks” are a great active recovery strategy

On top of the benefits of promoting daily activity, workout “snacks” are a great active recovery strategy. These “snacks” act as a way to facilitate blood flow, as well as keeping the “muscle building” signal alive.

Essentially, the movement of blood helps alleviate soreness which promotes better recovery, and the exercises help “trigger” the central nervous system to keep the muscles in building mode instead of breaking down mode.

Your workout “snacks” may seem easy, but working out doesn’t have to be hard. Unfortunately, the fitness industry and its influencers make it seem like working out is insanely complex and unachievable, but that’s not the truth. Everyone can workout, and it takes a lot less time than you think.

If you want help during this process, consider working with us at Primitive Wellness Personal Training. We understand that mastering the basics of fitness and health is what leads to results. Click this link to check out our personal training services, then fill out the consultation form at the bottom to get your fitness journey started today!