Fitness

Boost heart and lung health with just 2 quick exercise bursts a day, experts say

Published

7 hours ago

October 10, 2025

Boost heart and lung health with just 2 quick exercise bursts a day, experts say

Finding time to work out can feel impossible for many people, especially with packed schedules and long days. But new research suggests that you may not need hours at the gym to improve your health. Scientists say even two short bursts of exercise a day, known as “exercise snacks”, could meaningfully boost heart and lung fitness.

Why are short bursts of exercise so effective?

Getting enough exercise is a challenge for many adults, particularly as life gets busier. Yet staying active remains one of the best ways to protect your heart, lungs, and overall well-being. According to a new review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, short bouts of physical activity, called “exercise snacks”, may hold the key to improving fitness without the time burden of traditional workouts, as per a report by MNT.

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Regular exercise has long been linked to lower risks of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and even depression. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of intense activity weekly, a target that nearly one-third of adults fail to meet. The new research suggests that smaller, more frequent bouts of exercise can still deliver measurable benefits for those struggling to fit workouts into their routines, as per a report by MNT.

Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, a doctoral researcher at the University of Oviedo in Spain, explained why this approach works, “When people are asked why they don’t exercise, the most common answers are lack of time and lack of motivation. Exercise snacks directly address both: They’re short, flexible, and easy to fit into daily routines.”

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What did the study find?

The review analyzed data from 11 studies conducted across Canada, Australia, China, and the United Kingdom. A total of 414 participants, aged between 18 and 75, took part, most of whom were sedentary or physically inactive before the research began.

Participants performed short bursts of exercise between two and ten times a day, for up to five minutes each. Activities ranged from stair climbing and leg-focused strength movements to tai chi, a low-impact martial art known to enhance balance and flexibility.

The studies lasted between four and twelve weeks, with participants exercising on three to seven days a week. Impressively, 83% of participants stuck with the program, far higher than the 63% adherence rate typically seen with high-intensity interval training (HIIT), as per a report by MNT.

Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center, explained the findings:

“This review analyzed multiple previous studies and found that brief (less than 5 minutes) periods of moderate-to-intense exercise at least twice a day was associated with improved cardiorespiratory fitness. These findings provide a potential avenue for sedentary people to obtain a health benefit with only short amounts of physical activity,” as per a report by MNT.

What types of exercise work best?

The studies explored a range of movements to suit different fitness levels. Younger participants performed more intense activities such as stair sprints, lunges, and push-ups. Older adults or those with lower fitness levels benefitted from lighter routines like chair stands, resistance exercises, or short sessions of tai chi, as per a report by MNT.

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Rodríguez emphasized that consistency and personalization matter most, “It is important to recognize that exercise should ideally be individualized to maximize its benefits. The response to training can differ substantially between adults and older adults, due to variations in physiological capacity, recovery rate, and baseline fitness.”

He added that, “balancing intensity, safety, and consistency is essential when implementing exercise snacks in everyday life.”

Can short workouts really improve heart and lung fitness?

Yes, the research showed statistically significant improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, even though participants didn’t meet the full weekly exercise recommendations set by the CDC or World Health Organization (WHO), as per a report by MNT.

Younger adults showed the biggest boosts in heart and lung function, while older adults saw improvements in muscular endurance. Rodríguez noted:

“What’s remarkable is that these gains were achieved with exercise volumes far below current WHO recommendations. This suggests that small, consistent bouts of movement can meaningfully improve fitness, even in people who find it hard to dedicate long periods to exercise.”

The study also observed positive changes in muscle strength, balance, and endurance, though the researchers cautioned that more comparisons with traditional, longer workouts are needed to confirm equivalence.

Is any movement better than none?

Both Rodríguez and Chen agree that consistency, not duration, is the true key to long-term health, as per a report by MNT.

Rodríguez advised, “The main message is that exercise does not need to be long, structured, or complicated to be effective. Short, repeated bouts of activity (i.e., ‘exercise snacks’) can significantly improve fitness with very little time commitment.”

He continued, “any opportunity throughout the day to move, even briefly, can make a meaningful contribution. Incorporating short, vigorous snacks of activity whenever possible remains a highly valuable and accessible strategy for improving overall health and cardiorespiratory fitness,” as per a report by MNT.

Chen added that this flexible style of movement could be ideal for those who struggle to carve out time, “This form of exercise might be an efficient way for busy and/or sedentary individuals to get at least some cardiopulmonary benefit with only brief periods of higher-intensity physical activity.”

How can you add exercise snacks to your day?

For people who are short on time, Rodríguez suggested weaving short activities into daily routines, “For healthy adults, practical examples include fast stair climbing, bodyweight squats, lunges, push-ups, or even burpees, provided that their physical condition allows these higher-intensity movements.”

For older adults, or those new to exercise, gentler options like chair stands, light resistance training, and tai chi can be highly effective. The goal isn’t to exhaust yourself, it’s to move more frequently and consistently throughout the day, as per a report by MNT.

The research makes one thing clear: fitness doesn’t always require long, structured workouts. Even two or three bursts of movement a day, lasting less than five minutes each, can improve heart and lung health, increase strength, and boost endurance.

In Rodríguez’s words, the message is simple, “Any opportunity throughout the day to move, even briefly, can make a meaningful contribution.”

So, whether it’s climbing stairs, doing squats in between calls, or taking brisk walks during lunch, those small moments of movement could make a big difference for your long-term health.

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Note:

This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor regarding any medical concerns.

FAQs

What are exercise snacks?
They are short, high-intensity bursts of physical activity lasting about five minutes, done multiple times a day.

How do exercise snacks improve health?
Even brief activity boosts heart and lung function, improves endurance, and helps maintain overall fitness, especially in people with busy schedules.

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Fitness

At 78, Arnold Schwarzenegger still trains nearly every day — but his workouts look very different now

Published

19 hours ago

October 10, 2025

Press Room

At 78, Arnold Schwarzenegger still trains nearly every day — but his workouts look very different now

At 78, Arnold Schwarzenegger still hits the gym nearly every day — but these days, his workouts last about an hour and a half, not the five-hour marathons that made him a bodybuilding legend.

“I sometimes trained five hours a day with weights,” he told Business Insider. “That’s a lot of stress on the body — and clearly the body was not meant to do all that.”

Schwarzenegger started working out at 15 years old. At the height of his bodybuilding career, he famously sweated through as many as 80 to 100 sets of exercise to hit every muscle group.

As he’s gotten older, though, even the Terminator hasn’t been immune to the wear and tear of decades under the barbell, he told Business Insider in an interview about his new “You’ll Be Back” campaign with Zimmer Biomet, where he’s the Chief Movement Officer.

To compensate, he’s traded heavy barbells for exercise machines and long sessions for smarter, shorter ones.

That’s not where everyone should start. He believes that people should learn to lift with a barbell, dumbbells, or kettlebells. Schwarzenegger’s point isn’t to abandon free weights, but to understand the arc: master control first, then protect your joints.

“For me today, the machines are better simply because there’s certain movements I can’t do because of shoulder problems or knee problems,” Schwarzenegger said.

His new approach offers a blueprint for staying strong even as your joints protest. Here’s what the legendary bodybuilder recommends to get the most out of your workout.

Focus on simple movements

When it comes to choosing the right equipment, consider your unique needs and goals.

“We have so many sophisticated machines now that people sometimes get into the habit of using a machine when in fact the free weights at the beginning are better,” Schwarzenegger said.

Dumbbells or a barbell can work more muscle groups at once because they require you to stabilize the weight as you move. Free weights also allow you to perform more dynamic and explosive full-body movements, like the clean and press, which Schwarzenegger said is a personal favorite.

In contrast, exercise machines offer more support, making them good options for people working through injuries or mobility limitations, as well as older athletes. Machines can also make your workouts more efficient since they’re quicker to adjust.

Regardless of whether you lift a barbell or do your reps on a machine, don’t overcomplicate your workout, according to Schwarzenegger.

He recommends classic movements like deadlifts, squats, rows, and bench presses.

“The basic exercises are the most underrated exercises,” he said.

Consistency is key

Technique builds strength; routine keeps it. And for Schwarzenegger, that’s the real secret to longevity.

These days, Schwarzenegger’s daily workout includes 25 sets of weightlifting exercises along with biking for cardio, usually for around 45 minutes.

Sure, life can get in the way sometimes. “Yesterday I had a flat tire all of a sudden,” he said, and added that it forced him to adjust his scheduled gym session. “Half was a bike ride and the other half was walking back home.”

Schwarzenegger said the key is to try to keep a routine as much as possible. If pain or injury starts to derail your workouts, don’t be afraid to ask for help or seek medical care.

“When people start having pain, then they start limiting the amount of things that they do,” he said. “When you start doing that, then the danger is it’s the beginning of death because movement is life.”

Fitness

‘All about the community’: Albert Lea couple opens functional fitness center with hopes of making exercise less intimidating, accessible – Albert Lea Tribune

Published

1 day ago

October 9, 2025

Press Room

‘All about the community’: Albert Lea couple opens functional fitness center with hopes of making exercise less intimidating, accessible

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, October 9, 2025

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Ryan and Stacy Palmer recently opened Foundry Fitness, a functional fitness gym in the building formerly owned by CrossFit Innerdrive. The gym focuses on making crossfit style functional fitness accessible to everyone regardless of past experience or athletic ability. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

Ryan and Stacy Palmer opened Foundry Fitness to help people in the community overcome the misconception that crossfit exercise is too complicated or difficult. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

Albert Lea couple Ryan and Stacy Palmer at the start of September opened their gym, Foundry Fitness, with the goal to bring functional fitness and CrossFit style exercise to everyone in the community.

Functional fitness, they explained, puts an emphasis on full body conditioning and strength training, which is good for maintaining bone strength and muscle mass at any age. It involves traditional strength training, gymnastics movements and aerobic conditioning like running and using bikes, rowers and other equipment

Ryan Palmer previously worked as a football and wrestling coach at Albert Lea High School in various capacities from 2005 to 2017. He said he pulled back from coaching after his three sons — also athletes — graduated from high school.

It was then, he said, that he became interested in functional fitness. While away at school, his sons also got involved with the activity.

“Now it’s kind of something we do as a family,” Ryan Palmer said.

One of their sons is currently a coach at a functional fitness gym in South Dakota.

“When we travel, it’s something we can drop into different gyms and do as a family,” Stacy Palmer said. She added this has also made it possible to see a variety of different CrossFit gyms and explore what does and does not work in the business, a skill that would come in handy when they opened Foundry Fitness.

The Palmers began the process of acquiring the gym building from CrossFit Innerdrive about nine months ago.

CrossFit Innerdrive’s owners were going to leave the fitness center business, but Ryan and Stacy Palmer said they did not want to see the functional fitness gym go.

“It’s something that we just love to do, and we didn’t want it to leave this community, this type of environment,” he said. “As someone who’s coached and been in different athletic endeavors throughout my life, I have a hard time going in and working out on my own and staying motivated. So this type of environment is important to me.”

It’s the only gym of its kind within 30 miles, Stacy Palmer said.

Ryan Palmer said there is a very good functional fitness gym in Austin, but he did not want to make the commute there every time he wanted to work out.

It was then the couple decided to open their own functional fitness gym, using the building and equipment from CrossFit Innerdrive as a starting point.

Foundry Fitness currently has 10 coaches. Some of them coach more frequently than others. Ryan Palmer said this gives members the opportunity to have multiple people mentoring them in their fitness journeys.

When it comes to functional fitness, he said, the goal is to make it as accessible as possible.

When people think about CrossFit, he said, they tend to become intimidated and think it is too complicated or difficult to do.

Even with his life-long background in athletics, he said, stepping into a CrossFit gym for the first time was intimidating. He wants to remove this barrier for others.

“The goal is to scale any movement that we have or any exercise that we have to fit that individual. And it doesn’t matter how slow you have to start, how many modifications need to be made; the key is just to be here,” Ryan Palmer said. “This is all about the community and everybody helping each other out.”

Another way the couple has made the space more inclusive is by setting up a children’s play space that is equipped with cameras so parents can work out while still keeping an eye on their children.

Right now, Stacy Palmer said, they are renting the space from the Albert Lea Economic Development Agency. She said their hope is to open a brand new facility about a block away that better fits their needs.

Ryan Palmer said the hope is to open the new building by spring.

Foundry Fitness will have a special grand opening event Oct. 18. It will begin with their traditional Saturday morning class at 8 a.m. followed by puppy yoga at 9:30 a.m. Afterwards, people are invited to enjoy coffee, breakfast burritos and doughnuts. The cost of the classes that day will a freewill donation to the Humane Society of Freeborn County, Ryan Palmer said, and people do not have to participate in the classes to join the fun — they can just stop by to check out the space and ask questions.

Even when it’s not the grand opening, he said, Saturday classes are always free for newcomers to drop in and see what the gym has to offer before committing to membership.

Stacy Palmer said Saturday classes are often big classes with a wide mix of ages and abilities.

To learn more about Foundry Fitness, visit the gym’s Facebook page or Instagram, @foundryfitmn, which is curated by Ryan and Stacy’s daughter, Taylor Palmer. Foundry Fitness also has a website, foundryfitmn.com.

Fitness

Donald Trump Fitness: Can His Golf Workouts Replace the Gym? Explore Trump’s Golf Exercise Routine and Health Benefits

Published

2 weeks ago

September 26, 2025

Press Room

Donald Trump Fitness: Can His Golf Workouts Replace the Gym? Explore Trump’s Golf Exercise Routine and Health Benefits

Donald Trump’s fitness routine centres around golf, not the gym. Let’s know how his golf workouts burn calories, improve health, and whether golf can truly replace traditional exercise.

When you consider Donald Trump, you probably don’t think of fitness. Yet, one thing that he always swears by is golf. Beyond being a hobby, Trump uses golf in his leisure a great deal, as a way to stay active, socialise, and keep his body in motion. But here’s the big question: Can Trump’s Golf Workouts Replace the Gyms? Let’s explore his regimen and discover the unexpected health benefits of golf as a form of exercise.

Does Donald Trump Work Out At The Gym?

Unlike several celebrities or political figures who are stuck to a gym regimen, Donald Trump is not known for pumping iron or running on treadmills. Instead, it is his fitness in playing golf that comes first. Trump is said to spend hours of his day at the golf course, walking around, swinging and being active while he is managing both business and leisure conversation. While it may not sound like a real workout, golf requires you to move around, control your posture and your coordination all the time, making it a low-impact exercise for burning calories.

How Many Calories Does Playing Golf Burn?

Yes, and here’s why. On average:

Walking 18 holes may cover 4 – 6 miles.
The number of calories burned by carrying clubs or pushing a cart is 600-1,000 calories per round.
A golf cart even allows golf players to burn up to 300-450 calories because of swinging, short walks, and postural control.

And when you’re an early riser, a workaholic and a frequent visitor to the course, as Donald Trump is, that calorie burn adds up, making golf something of a fitness powerhouse.

Health Benefits Of Trump’s Golf Routines

People grossly underestimate golf, but Trump’s steady play grants him some wrist flexing fitness advantages:

1. Improves Heart Health

Walking the course and swinging regularly provides greater blood circulation and makes the cardiovascular system stronger.

2. Increases Flexibility and Balance

The golf swing to develop: Spine, shoulders, hips, and core. After a certain period of time, repeating the same movements helps your body gain flexibility and balance.

3. Improves Muscles Without Heavy Lifting

While not weight training, swinging a golf club develops arms and shoulders and core muscles.

4. Reduces Stress

Golf is an outdoor game, and it is played in often lush and calm surroundings. For Trump, it’s also a break from the pressures of politics and business, mentally.

5. Promotes Longevity

Studies show that golfers live longer on average due to the combination of moderate physical activity and the provision of relief.

Can Golf Replace The Gym?

This is where opinion becomes polarised. For Donald Trump, golf might be sufficient to get a workout, but for most people, the gym allows for targeted exercises on strength training and cardio intensity which golf simply cannot match. However, golf is an excellent option for those who hate gyms but still desire a regular workout. The combination of walking, swinging, and being outdoors means that this is an effective low-impact workout.

Golf Smart: Maximise Your Workout

If you want to follow in Trump’s footsteps-but maximise the amount of fitness benefits you are getting-try these:

Use your feet to walk the course rather than use a cart.
Carry or use a push cart for your own clubs.
Always warm up before playing by stretching.
Galea does weight exercises, such as squats or push-ups, after golf to try to balance with force.

While Donald Trump is not known for lifting heavy weights or running marathons, his golf workouts keep him active and in shape in a sustainable way that is both fun and engaging. While a game of golf cannot completely take the place of a workout in the gym, it proves that fitness doesn’t always need to come from traditional workouts.