Exercise snacking is a way to get short, sharp bursts of exercise into your day. It includes simple strength training exercises - including lunges and squats - and cardio exercises you can do in any clothing and with minimal (and no) equipment.
Sitting for hours at a time (also known as 'oversitting') has been linked to high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and weight gain (per Diabetes Journals), whereas exercise snacking with types of strength training and cycling workouts especially have been shown to improve muscle function, help with glucose control, and improve cardiovascular health.
Many exercise snacks are done twice a day for five minutes each, with one minute rest in between each exercise. The great thing about this workout style is that you don't need to set aside time to do it - it's all about squeezing the exercise in when it's practical for you.
32 exercise snacking ideas
Walking pad
If you can't step outside for a quick five-minute exercise snack, you may benefit from having a walking pad at home. These small treadmill-like machines are designed to help you get your steps in every day - from the comfort of your living room.
They tend to be slimmer and less bulky than traditional treadmills - so great for storing in a spare cupboard at home - and can be packed away when not needed, so they don't take up much space.
You could even continue your work while using the pad since many of these machines fit neatly under desks.
Bodyweight squats
Squats are one of the best strength training exercises for women, working your quadriceps (thighs), hamstrings (back of the thighs), calves, back, and core.
To do a squat, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing outwards, chest up and core tight. When ready, bend your knees and squat down as if you were going to sit on a chair, making sure to push your knees out in the direction of your toes. Push through the heels of your feet as you come back up.
Jumping jacks
Jumping jacks are a staple in many HIIT workouts for a reason. They are one of the easiest and most efficient exercises to do for quick bursts of time as they rapidly increase your heart rate.
Doing these a couple of times a day with other cardio activities like jogging on the spot and mountain climbers can help to improve your aerobic capacity - one element of fitness - and lower your resting heart rate and blood pressure.
Toe raises
Toe raises are an exercise snack as you can do them completely discreetly at your desk - and no one would know. While it might seem like a small movement compared to the more dynamic moves on the list, it's a movement we're not particularly used to doing, making it a challenge.
The exercise challenges the core, believe it or not, and supports the tiny muscles in the foot that help to stabilise larger muscles in the leg. In turn, this can help to boost stability, improve balance, and prevent running injuries like shin splints.
Push-ups
Push-ups work muscles in the arms, chest, and shoulders. They are great for building upper body strength and are easy to work into your day. Although by nature you should be able to do exercise snacks without having to warm up if you're not used to doing this exercise, it's a good idea to stretch first - otherwise, you could pull a muscle.
If you can't manage a full push-up, kneeling push-ups are fine too. Get into a plank position with your knees on the floor below your hips, and hands outstretched directly below your shoulders. Slowly bend at the elbow and lower yourself until your chin grazes the floor, then push yourself back up to the start.
Jogging on the spot
Simple and easy to do, jogging on the spot is one of the best exercise snacks to do at home - or even when you're out and about. Who's really looking?
It's a great way to improve your balance, coordination, and mind-body connection. Plus, the exercise involves your core and lower-body muscles, challenging you to balance on one leg at a time and practice quick movements as you move from one leg over to the other.
Bicep curls
If you have a pair of dumbbells at home, you could incorporate some bicep curls into your exercise snacking routine. These weights should be light enough to lift for many repetitions without too much of a struggle.
Before starting this exercise, stretch out your arms, chest, and shoulders - just to ensure you avoid any strain throughout the day.
If you don't have dumbbells, try bicep-curling cans of food from the cupboard. It's a light, comfortable weight at 400g-ish and the shape of the can makes it easy to hold.
Walking up the stairs
If you work at an office with a staircase or spend a lot of time at home, walking up and down the stairs is one of the most simple exercise snacks you can do.
You'll only have to walk for one minute for it to count towards your five-minute exercise session, so it's the perfect 'snack' to work towards better cardiovascular health.
What's more, you don't have to take the time out of your day to do this exercise. Simply take the stairs between meetings, on bathroom breaks, and on your way to get a coffee. Steer clear of the lifts at the office and you'll get this snack in.
Chair squats
Chair squats aren't only an excellent way to work muscles in your lower body and back, but you can do them relatively discreetly, making them a great exercise snack for the office or at home. They are just one element of chair workouts, which have become more popular in recent years as more of us work from home.
Much like a regular squat, you should stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing out. With your chest up and core tight, bend your knees and squat down until you reach the chair behind you. Instead of sitting down though, push through your heels and come up to standing again.
Sprints
Be sure to stretch before this one! While it's not the most convenient exercise snack - you're not exactly going to be sprinting through your home or down the hallways of the office after all - it is one of the most efficient ways to exercise in short bursts, so it's worth a place on the list.
Sprints could be incorporated into your regular walking routine as a quick way to get your heart rate up, for instance. Just be sure to stretch out beforehand.
Mountain climbers
Mountain climbers aren't everyone's idea of a good time - they challenge your cardiovascular ability, shoulder and arm strength, endurance, and agility. It's also why they are the perfect exercise snack!
As exercise snacking is all about exercising in short, sharp bursts, you can do rounds of mountain climbers for a minute within the five-minute bursts and reap the benefits - without having to suffer for too long.
If you're concerned about downstairs neighbours, get yourself some discs and have them on the bottom of your feet. Pull up and down across the floor as you complete the movement, rather than stepping up and down.
Skipping rope
Skipping is just as good as running or walking every day for your cardiovascular fitness. It makes for a great exercise snack as you can just pick up your rope - and provided you don't have downstairs neighbours - jump in the comfort of your living room as a break from work for a minute.
Using a skipping rope also has proven benefits for bone health, helping to increase mineral density with the impact, as well as coordination, balance, and agility. It's also a great way to burn calories - if you are looking for a way to lose weight without exercising too much.
Step-ups
Step-ups - weighted or not - have the dual benefit of increasing the strength in your leg muscles and helping to build up strength in the smaller tendons and ligaments around the knee. If you want to run a 10km or even run a marathon for the first time, exercises like these are essential.
And the fact they are on our list of exercise snacking ideas proves that you don't need to do step-ups for long to reap the benefits. Just make sure you have a stable bench to do your step-ups effectively.
Burpees
Much like mountain climbers, burpees are no one's idea of a good time. Yet, they are a full-body workout in themselves, making them a great option for exercise snacking. This exercise targets the arms, chest, legs, shoulders, hip adductors and abductors, buttocks, and core muscles.
The good news is, you only have to do a minute of these burpees to reap the benefits.
Plank
The plank sits in personal trainers' top three core exercises for good reason. It also engages multiple other muscles in the body, including the biceps and triceps (arms), quadriceps (thighs), upper and lower back, and glutes (buttocks).
Try and do a full-minute's plank - but build up in 10-second intervals until you get there, otherwise you may need to put in more effort than a simple exercise snack needs.
When doing the plank, keep your buttocks level with your back and keep your elbows directly under your shoulders. These are often the first two things to go when people start to struggle in a plank.
March with high knees
A march with high knees is a good exercise to add to the beginning of your exercise snacking routine. You shouldn't need to do too much warming up with these exercises as they are supposed to short and sharp but adding in an easier exercise early in the 5-minute workout as a brief warm-up is a good idea.
A brief warm up will help to get your blood pumping and muscles ready for more complex exercises to come. It'll also help reduce the risk of injury.
Sumo squats
Sumo squats are a type of squat that focuses more on the glutes and adductor muscles (inner thighs) than traditional squats, which primarily focus on the quadriceps and hamstrings (front and back of the thighs). This compound exercise works multiple muscle groups though, whatever variation you choose, including the glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves, hip adductors, core, and even the pelvic floor.
They may be a more suitable option for beginners as the sumo squat doesn't require such a wide range of motion and it puts less pressure on the back than a regular one.
Shoulder press
This is a great exercise to add into your upper-body exercise snacking routine. While it's called a 'shoulder press', the movement actually works your back and triceps as well and can help to prevent shoulder injuries in daily life and any imbalances.
You can do a shoulder press without weights - but it's more efficient to use very light dumbbells or resistance bands. To start the movement, keep your chest up and brace at your core. Looking straight ahead, press the weights up above your head until your arms are almost straight. Slower them back down to the starting position, pause when your arms are just below your shoulders, and go back up.
Bike intervals
If you have indoor cycling equipment at home, bike intervals are one of the most efficient exercise snacks you can do. Studies have even proven that this exercise is effective in just a few minutes throughout the day.
A study by the University of British Columbia, for instance, looked at those who did single, 10-minute intense intervals on a stationary bike in a lab compared to those who popped into the lab every few hours and pedalled hard for a minute (aka. an exercise snack). At the end of the experiment, researchers concluded both groups had made substantial gains in fitness - and importantly, to a similar degree.
Rear lunge
Being a single-leg exercise, any kind of lunge is a good exercise snack. However, a rear lunge - which works by stepping backwards into a lunge rather than forwards - is a particularly good way to improve strength in the buttocks, hamstrings, and calves, which in turn can help with 'toning' these areas - if that's of interest.
If you struggle to balance with a rear lunge, try stepping out to the side slightly rather than directly backwards. Having a wider centre of gravity will keep you stable.
Bicycle crunches
Bicycle crunches are another excellent core exercise that pushes the muscles in the stomach - including the ones down the sides, called the obliques - to fatigue.
Having good core strength is vital for everyday movements like twisting, reaching above your head, and lifting objects from the ground. It's also an exercise that's been found to alleviate back pain for some people, provided it's done right.
Fast feet
Fast feet is an excellent warm-up exercise to include in your collection of exercise snacks. You can do it at home, in the gym, or even at the office without too much trouble. The key is to have your feet land under your hips with small, quick steps, rather than lifting the knee high.
This exercise is another one where the benefits can help you out in everyday life, improving your agility, balance, and even responsive time in certain situations where you might have to move quickly.
Renegade rows
Renegade rows involve getting down into a slightly elevated plank position, sometimes with a dumbbell in each hand. From each, one hand at a time, you pull the dumbbell towards your lower torso / hip. If you're new to this exercise, leave the weights out of it for the moment and just focus on the plant-to-pull movement.
It not only pulls in all the benefits of the plank but also targets the arms, shoulders, and back muscles.
As you might expect, they are harder than most plank variations as you're pulling additional weight, they use more muscle groups, and importantly, you need to have a very stable core to do this exercise - while holding your entire body weight with one arm. Sounds easy, right?
Butt kicks
Butt kicks are a good exercise for any runners or cyclists looking to boost strength and endurance in their hamstrings - the muscles at the back of the thighs. Having more strength here means you may be able to move faster and more efficiently.
If you're not a runner, including some butt kicks in your 5-minute workout can help get your heart rate up and improve your fitness.
Squat jumps
Combining jumping with squats, squat jumps are another excellent full-body exercise that can help boost strength, power, and endurance.
It's also an exercise that can help you out in regular life, improving your ability to move quicker and produce more power from your legs. This comes in handy when walking, running, and generally moving through life.
As it's a high-intensity exercise, your heart rate will be higher so it's also a good one to include in your routine if you're looking to lose weight with exercise snacking.
Rower sprints
A rowing machine is one of the best pieces of equipment to have at home - if you have the space. Unlike the bike or treadmill, it can offer a full body workout in just a few short minutes, with research suggesting that this activity can engage up to 86% of the muscles in the body.
From the rowing machine, you could go into some bodyweight squats or shoulder presses to have a small rest from the intensity of cardiovascular exercise.
Shadowboxing
Shadowboxing is a quick and easy exercise to incorporate into your exercise snacking stack. No need for gloves or a bag, or any equipment for that matter. It's also one you could do outside in public - provided you're not put off by a few odd looks.
This exercise can help boost your cardio fitness, improve your strength, and help you feel more balanced and agile in other workouts.
Shadowboxing has also been shown to be particularly effective at burning calories, which can help with weight loss. It targets the core muscles, shoulders, chest, quadriceps, calves, and back muscles, but naturally fat loss occurs across the entire body.
Sled pushes and pulls
Another exercise snack for the gym - but this would also work if you had a heavy chair or table at home.
Hooking your sled or furniture to your waist and walking backwards with it is another great exercise for strengthening the ligaments and tendons in your knees, reducing injuries relating to running, jumping, walking, and cycling.
Kettlebell swings
Kettlebell swings are a full-body exercise, making them an excellent addition to your exercise snacking routine. A study by Bond University has even shown that one minute of kettlebell swings (16kg) is enough to induce muscular fatigue, which is needed to boost strength and endurance.
Top tips for getting the most from your swing include: Setting your pick of kettlebells up at least six inches from your feet, keeping your core tight and back flat, holding onto the kettlebell with a strong (but flexible) grip, and keeping the upward point of the swing no higher than hip height.
Ball slams
Let your anger out in just one minute with some ball slams in your exercise snacking routine. Admittedly, this may not be one for the home - unless you happen to own a 5 and 10kg weighted ball and have plenty of garden space or reinforced flooring.
The key benefits of ball slams come with hard work. Lifting the weighted ball above your head and slamming it down on the ground can improve your cardio fitness and boost strength in your upper body - particularly the core, arms, shoulders, and back.
Skaters
You might feel silly doing skater movements, but they can work wonders for your agility, balance, strength, and muscular endurance. They also work different parts of the legs than other exercises where you move backwards or forwards.
If you have downstairs neighbours or need to do your skaters quietly for any reason, pop a pair of discs under your feet - just move slowly to begin with so you can get used to the feeling and maintain your balance.
Lateral shuffles
Lateral shuffles - a movement that involves shifting your weight from one side to the other - can improve agility and balance. Doing a minute's worth of these every day is bound to have a positive effect on with stability age.
To reap the benefits, it's important to get your positioning right. As you move, keep your toes point forwards with your feet and knees aligned. Your knees and nose should stay over your feet. Drive with your supporting leg - the leg opposite to the direction you're moving in.
