The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends getting 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week, plus two days of strength training. How you break that up depends on your personal preferences: While some people love a long run or a sweaty hourlong boot camp class, others prefer their sweat sessions to be short and sweet — and the data says that these micro-workouts are all the rage right now. According to fitness app Strava’s annual Year in Sport report, more than 20% of all activity tracked by users was under 20 minutes long.

It’s not surprising that shorter workouts are popular. The rise in at-home workouts — sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic — meant more people were sneaking in a fitness break between work meetings and tasks. Online exercise classes reflect this: pandemic-favorite Peloton, Cacti Wellness and the Sculpt Society, for example, all offer short workout videos as options.

Fitness experts — and science — say there are plenty of reasons to love short workouts. Here’s why.

Short workouts break up your sedentary time

There’s substantial research that says the more movement you do in your day, the better. This is especially true when that movement replaces the time you would have otherwise spent sitting down.

Too much sedentary time is linked with a slew of health risks, including heart disease and diabetes. Experts say breaking up this time with movement (not just standing, which comes with its own health issues, including blood pressure problems) is crucial to one’s well-being.

Short workouts are one way to combat this sedentary time, as they’re easier to squeeze into your day. Consider “exercise snacks,” for example. These short bouts of exercise help break up the time when you’re not moving, can easily be incorporated into your regular routine. That may look like getting your heart pumping by climbing a few extra flights of stairs to your office, taking a 10-minute walk around the block after lunch or even doing some push-ups or squats while watching TV.

Short workouts can keep you consistent

Consistency is key when it comes to receiving the health benefits of working out. Regular exercise is linked to positive health outcomes including stronger bones, better cardiovascular health, improved mental health and increased brain function, immunity and sleep.

Keeping up with exercise involves finding a routine that works for you and your schedule. If you force yourself into a routine that doesn’t align with your priorities — like booking a lengthy barre class that takes up your entire lunch break — you may find yourself bailing more often than not, says personal trainer and fit pregnancy coach Kim Perry. She notes that for many people (including busy parents), it “feels daunting to set up an hour’s worth of time to work out.”

Pilates instructor Lesley Logan tells Yahoo Life that many people find shorter sessions more “approachable” overall, which allows them to “integrate fitness into their busy lives more seamlessly.” In today’s fast-paced world, she explains, “shorter workouts can fit into tight schedules, reducing the stress often associated with finding time to exercise.” And any exercise is better than none at all.

Short workouts may mean more intense exercise

Studies have shown that vigorous exercise may be especially beneficial for our health, particularly for people who sit for long periods of time. The good news for short-workout fans? The shorter the workout, the more energy you have to really go all in — and research says that the health benefits of going harder in less time is just as good as doing a lower-intensity workout for longer.

“HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is one of the most effective workouts to do in short bursts, while also seeing strong results,” fitness instructor and Passion Fit founder Reena Vokoun tells Yahoo Life. That’s because HIIT (like doing mountain climbers or burpees for 30 seconds, followed by a short rest) causes your heart rate to go up quickly and come down for recovery, before it goes “right back up and comes right back down again.” It’s also a workout that “will help with your strength, energy, endurance and stamina,” Vokoun adds.

While a five-minute walk on a treadmill is beneficial because any movement is better than none, it’s less effective for quickly improving fitness or burning calories, notes Vokoun.

Are there any drawbacks to short workouts?

You can reach your fitness goals by sticking to shorter workouts — but you do need to do some planning. If you’re not making time for a full-body strength training session, for example, think about what you can achieve in a short time. Maybe that means doing squats one day, arms the next and so on, so that every muscle group gets attention.

Then there’s the risk of injury from more intense, short workouts. For one thing, people who focus on exercising quickly may rush through their workouts and risk injury by not taking the time to properly warm up or stretch afterward.

Doing lots of short, intense workouts can also be hard on your body. When it comes to HIIT, experts say to aim for just two or three sessions per week and to recover for at least 48 hours between these workouts in order to avoid overuse and injury.

Lastly, it’s important to keep in mind that your short workouts do need to add up throughout the week; a couple of mini workouts won’t make much dent in your weekly exercise goals. Make sure that each week you’re still getting 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise.

You power through high-stakes meetings at work, balance an overpacked schedule at home, and deliver maximum effort during high-intensity workouts at the gym. Your body is in a constant state of go. Sound familiar? If you’re looking to lose weight, operating in overdrive isn’t helping your weight-loss efforts. 

One technique worth considering: somatic exercise. 

Activities and exercises that often include somatic elements, like yoga and Pilates, are “designed to remind the body of its natural, integrated way of moving—with fluidity, ease, and coordination,” says Lisa Cary, a certified Somatic Integration Coach. Studies suggest that somatic exercise helps with chronic pain relief, relaxation, and stress reduction (1, 2, 3), which may factor into whether you’re successfully able to lose weight. 

Could somatic exercise be the key to breaking the stress-weight gain cycle? Before you push even harder at your next workout, here’s what you need to know.

About the Experts

Sarah Warren is a Certified Clinical Somatic Educator (CCSE), Registered Somatic Movement Educator (RSME), owner of the Somatic Movement Center, and author of The Pain Relief Secret.

Lisa Cary is a Certified Somatic Integration Coach and Movement Therapist.

What Is Somatic Exercise?

Somatic exercise involves slow, mindful movements that promote the mind-body connection and inner awareness. It can include a range of practices, such as breathing exercises, body scans, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, and dance. 

“Technically, any movement can be somatic if you focus on what you’re feeling in your body as you move,” explains Sarah Warren, a certified clinical somatic education practitioner. For example, yoga and Pilates can be described as somatic or not somatic, depending on how they are practiced. 

Focusing on the internal experience of the movement (rather than external appearance) is what makes an exercise somatic. A traditional exercise class tends to focus on form and specific outcomes or goals. With somatic exercise, touching your toes, running faster, or lifting heavier is not the goal. The primary aim is to tune in to how your body, muscles, and organs feel as you move and explore those sensations. 

Can Somatic Exercise Help You Lose Weight?

The mindful movements of somatic exercise won’t alone cause the scale to budge. However, it may positively affect weight loss by reducing stress and improving movement quality. 

That said, the scientific evidence linking somatic exercise to weight loss is indirect (less pain leads to better movement which may lead to more effective traditional workouts). “Weight loss needs a holistic approach in my opinion,” says Cary. 

Still, here’s how somatic exercise might help: 

It reduces stress

“Somatic movement reduces stress, which can cause people to gain and retain extra weight. Stress can also cause people to overeat and potentially overindulge in foods that cause weight gain, like sugar and alcohol,” explains Warren.

Chronic stress can cause an overproduction of the hormone cortisol, which has been linked to weight gain (4, 5). These prolonged periods of high cortisol levels put your body into a seemingly never-ending “fight or flight” response, which contributes to the storage of more visceral fat, according to the Cleveland Clinic. What makes visceral fat dangerous is that it surrounds your organs. High levels of it have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

Somatic exercise may work to combat this stress-weight gain cycle by managing stress and lowering cortisol levels. One small study found that an eight-week program involving somatic techniques like diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided visualization boosted weight loss and improved stress management (6). 

It increases mobility

Since somatic exercise has been shown to help relieve chronic pain and muscle tension (1), it may also help you lose weight by increasing your mobility and ability to work out.

Two methods of mindful somatic exercise, the Feldenkrais Method and the Alexander Technique, have specifically been shown to improve balance, walking patterns, and posture (1). While not directly linked to losing weight, moving better with ease may make you more likely to stick with the rest of your fitness routine. 

Simply put, somatic exercise makes “physical exercise much more comfortable and enjoyable,” says Warren.

Lose Weight

How to Do Somatic Exercise

Start small

Try 15 to 30 minutes of somatic movement a day, suggests Warren. “Though you might want to practice longer because the movements feel so good.”

Work with a certified practitioner

There are many great online resources for learning somatic exercises, but Cary recommends working with a certified practitioner, particularly in the beginning. “A good somatic teacher will guide students to sense, feel, and notice the changing, shifting sensations in the body.” This will help you develop a deeper connection with your body’s internal language. 

Do what’s accessible 

Widely available somatic practices such as yoga, Tai Chi, and dance are great places to start. Just remember that not every class you walk into will be designed with a somatic focus. “It’s the consciousness with which we do the movement, not what the movement is that makes it somatic,” explains Cary. 

You can bring somatics into any classroom by tuning inward, listening to your body, and moving in the ways it needs throughout a class. For instance, you can take the suggested modification when you know it’s what you need rather than letting your competitive side win.

Focus on pain points

If you struggle with chronic pain, Clinical Somatics is a somatic practice that aims specifically to reduce chronic muscle tension. “We use a technique called pandiculation that retrains the nervous system to reduce the baseline level of tension in muscles. By releasing chronic muscle tension, chronic musculoskeletal pain is typically relieved as well,” explains Warren.

A 2022 study found that a somatic program consisting of pandiculation (a slow contraction, then the release of a muscle) reduced pain in the lower back and neck (7). For lower back tightness, Warren recommends a somatic exercise called the Arch & Flatten: 

• Start by standing with your eyes closed and arms by your side and take a few moments to bring awareness to how your lower back feels. 
• Then move to the floor and lie flat on your back with feet flat and knees bent. 
• Breathe deeply and imagine your pelvis slowly and gently rocking forward and back to create the arching and flattening sensation.

Avoid making weight loss the goal

“If a person approaches somatics as a methodology for losing weight by doing certain exercises, it won’t work,” warns Cary. Emphasize an “inside-out” approach that focuses on moving in a more sustainable way. 

Other Ways to Lose Weight

Losing weight with slow, intentional movements might sound better than pushing your body to the limit with high-intensity intervals. However, somatic exercises aren’t the only thing you’ll want to do to lose weight. Once you’ve got your stress levels under control, diet and exercise should be square one for weight loss:  

Diet

A calorie deficit (eating fewer calories than you burn) is the most important factor in whether or not you lose weight (8). But what you eat can also make a difference.

Nutrient-rich, whole foods give your body energy and help you feel fuller longer. Getting enough protein in a calorie deficit can boost fat loss, help maintain muscle mass, and support your metabolism, which may make it easier to lose weight and keep it off long-term. 

Exercise

Studies consistently link exercise to better weight loss outcomes. For example, one study found that focusing on both diet and exercise was more likely to result in weight loss than one or the other (9).

A balanced fitness routine includes intense exercises that elevate your heart rate, strength training to build muscle, and low-intensity workouts that focus on recovery and mobility, such as walking. So, while somatic exercise might help, it’s worth getting back to a varied routine when you can.