Some people thrive on hours-long runs and sweaty Peloton classes, but a much larger group of people lack the time, motivation, or ability for long workouts. Take, for example, those with chronic health conditions, limited mobility, prior negative fitness experiences, or the hopelessly overscheduled.
That doesn’t mean they have to forgo the physical and psychological benefits of exercise. In recent years, headlines have touted research on the benefits of a few minutes of physical activity. Not to mention the cottage fitness industry that has risen in response by promising physical transformations in X minutes a day (or less!).
What’s true? What’s too good to be true? Even when U.S. Health & Human Services physical activity guidelines recommend 150-300 minutes (2.5-5 hours) of moderate intensity movement per week?
The research says yes. While you should never expect total-body transformation, short workouts, even 10 minutes or less, really can improve your health, mental wellbeing, and fitness – if you approach them right.
Why short bursts of movement can be beneficial
Since at least 2005, researchers have been attempting to pinpoint just how short you can go and still benefit, says Edward F. Coyle, PhD, professor and director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Texas, Austin.
Part of the equation is intensity. His studies show 10-minute workouts in which people cycle as hard as they can for 4 seconds, then rest for 15-30 seconds, improve fitness in young and older adults (and in the latter, also build muscle mass). Other studies have shown shorter “exercise snacks” – climbing three flights of stairs three times, with 1-4 hours in between – improved fitness over six weeks.
By turning up the intensity, Dr. Coyle says, these interval sessions temporarily deprive your muscles of both fuel and the oxygen they need to produce more, just like longer workouts. In response, your blood volume increases, your heart pumps more with each beat, and your muscle cells develop more mitochondria (tiny energy-producing factories).
That doesn’t mean less-intense physical activity isn’t beneficial, too. It is. In fact, there are several ways you can approach shorter movement sessions and really do well.
1. “Accumulate” a healthier lifestyle by moving throughout the day.
To reap the myriad benefits of physical activity – from lower blood pressure to better sleep to a longer life – health experts recommend the aforementioned 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity weekly. Moderate means your heart’s beating faster, but you can still speak.
That averages out to 20 minutes daily. However, if you’ve been inactive or have physical or logistical limitations, a full 20 minutes can seem daunting.
Fortunately, the most recent update to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans specifically states you don’t have to log those minutes at once. Any amount of movement “counts” toward the total.
Four minutes here, 8 minutes there, another 5 minutes again later … it all adds up.
In fact, depending on what you do with the rest of your hours, small, frequent bouts of movement may be better for your health than one solid workout.
“Being very sedentary all day and just doing 30 minutes of exercise once a day is not very healthy for you,” says Anthony Wall, MS, a certified personal trainer and spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise. Emphasis on very sedentary. Long periods of sitting have their own health risks, including more heart disease and diabetes. While a single concentrated workout session is better than nothing, it may not reverse the damage done by all that sitting.
Remember: Our bodies are designed for movement. It’s okay to work up to 150 minutes gradually. Begin where you are, perhaps with a 5-minute walk around the block or easy stretches or exercises on the nearest patch of carpet. Establish consistency, then add on – it’ll feel easier as body and mind adapt.
“Data show the more you exercise, the more motivated you›ll be to exercise,” says Julia Basso, PhD, assistant professor and director of the embodied brain laboratory at Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg. When you crave movement, it’s easier to sneak it in. Eventually, all those minutes will add up to 150 a week – or more.