Although the term ‘fitness snacking’ may make your stomach rumble, it doesn’t exactly mean what you may think. In fact, the term has nothing to do with food and everything to do with working out.

According to an article in The Guardian, fitness snacking describes short periods of exercise done throughout your day as opposed to one longer workout.

The reality is, with the busy hustle and bustle of daily life, many people can’t always get to the gym for a workout. On those super busy days, fitness snacking is a perfect approach to help people get the physical activity that’s needed.

To ensure you’re ‘snacking’ enough throughout the day, start by creating your own point system. With this point system, aim to obtain at least five points a day. Different activities will be rewarded with different points based on level of exertion.

Here are some examples:

  • A 15-minute leisurely walk on your lunch break – 1 point
  • Taking a 5-10-minute break from your day to perform body weight exercises (like squats or lunges) – 2 points
  • A 30-minute brisk walk – 3 points
  • Practicing yoga for an hour/going for half an hour bike ride – 4 points
  • Sneaking in a 30-minute HIIT workout (whether at home or at the gym) – 5 points

According to Canada’s Physical Activity Guidelines, adults are supposed to get 150 minutes of physical activity a week. The beauty of this is it doesn’t matter how you get them – whether that be a regular workout or short bursts of activity!

It’s no surprise that fitness snacking is especially good for people who have sedentary jobs and work long hours. By incorporating short bursts of physical activity throughout the day, it will no doubt improve one’s overall health and can even decrease the chance of disease.

The key to making this work? Aim to get your heart rate elevated by incorporating higher intensity (compared to talking) exercises like jumping jacks, squats and walking lunges.

Fitness snacking is a great complement to an already active lifestyle or for those who are slowly trying to build their fitness level. It’s perfect for days when life gets busy, but don’t’ forget to make time for the gym too!