Movement Snacks
My friend Sarah and I have been talking and she assigned herself a thirty-day challenge to do 100 situps, squats, and pushups to help her get into a movement habit. She’s been very diligent but has a trip coming up and was asking about ways to stay on track. One of my favorite travel hacks is to do 10 squats in the airplane lavatory when I get up to use the facilities. It’s easy, efficient, gets the blood flowing, and wakes up your muscles after sitting in a cramped seat for hours. You don’t need a gym membership or a 60-minute block of time to move your body. Enter exercise snacks — short bursts of movement sprinkled throughout your day. Think 2-5 minutes of intentional movement every hour or two. These micro-workouts are a game-changer, especially if you’re desk-bound, juggling a busy schedule or traveling.
Why they work:
Exercise snacks help break up sedentary time, which is linked to everything from tight hips to increased risk of chronic disease. These quick bursts improve blood flow, wake up your muscles, boost energy, and even sharpen your focus. Over time, they can improve cardiovascular health, metabolism, posture, and mood — all without needing a full workout window.
Ideas to try:
• Chair squats during a Zoom call, make sure your camera is off
• Wall or counter push-ups while waiting for coffee
• March in place or do high knees during a TV commercial
• Walking lunges to the bathroom or kitchen
• 10 jumping jacks every hour on the hour
• Dance break to your favorite song, cue the Taylor Swift or Abba
• Stretching or foam rolling between tasks
• Calf raises while brushing your teeth
You can even use a timer or app reminder to help you stay consistent. The key is not overthinking it — just move.
These little moments add up. Ten 3-minute “snacks” spread across your day equals 30 minutes of movement. Not bad for a day where the gym wasn’t in the cards.
Movement isn’t all-or-nothing. Your body benefits from the effort you can give, when you can give it. So next time you feel stiff, sluggish, or stuck…snack on some movement. Your body (and brain) will thank you. Do you have a favorite snack you could share?
