Exercise can seem overwhelming to most of us, as those with little knowledge the subject often don't know where to start. In addition, regularly finding the time to incorporate a daily work out into a busy schedule can prove difficult, especially if you are trying to exercise consistently.
Luckily, diet guru Michael Mosley has recommended a simple lifestyle change known as "exercise snacking", which he claims can help rapid weight loss without a long workout.
Speaking on his podcast, Just One Thing, the weight loss expert explained the method, which involves splitting your exercise routine into short bursts throughout the day, rather doing it all at once in a full workout.
Here's everything to know about exercise snacking, including its benefits for weight loss, as reported by the Mirror.
What is exercise snacking?
Dr Michael Mosley explained that exercise snacking means "doing multiple short bursts of exercise during the day rather than trying to fit it all into a full workout".
He added: "The surprising thing about exercise snacking is that although each session is short, it gives you the same – possibly even greater – fitness and health benefits than doing a full 30-minute workout."
Exercise snacking is the ideal choice for those who aren't regular exercisers and are looking for easy or quick weight loss methods that they can incorporate into their daily lives. One way which he recommends putting the technique into practice is by using the stairs to get "in a few exercise snacks".
What are the benefits of exercise snacking?
Besides saving precious time in our busy work lives, exercise snacking has been found to have great health benefits. Dr Marie Murphy, professor of Sport and Exercise Science, explained: "Exercise snacking allows for more opportunities for slimmers to boost their metabolism, which in turn leads to more calorie burning."
Short bursts of exercise helps burn calories, lose more weight, help improve your blood glucose and blood pressure to a greater degree. While a 30-minute routine has similar effects, doing it in short chunks instead of one long session means you are activating your metabolism multiple times, making the health benefits even more impactful.
Dr Murphy suggests doing around three 10-minute – or maybe six five-minute - bouts of exercise snacking a day. However, if you can only spare one minute a day, then still use that to do at least a single burst of exercise as a way to "accumulate towards that 30-minute target".
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