Fitness
The 45-second exercises that are as good as a 30-minute walk
When it comes to our health, every second of movement counts. That’s why I’m such a big advocate of making time for short bursts of exercise throughout the day – an approach known as “exercise snacking”.
Now, a recent study from researchers in China has investigated just how effective this approach to fitness is for our health. It found that breaking up eight hours of sitting with 10 squats every 45 minutes led to a bigger drop in our blood sugar than going for a 30 minute walk.
The thinking is that more regular movement is better at mopping up excess sugar in our blood following a meal. It minimises the rollercoaster of blood sugar spikes, which can increase our Type 2 diabetes risk and affect mood, energy levels and productivity.
The more you “exercise snack” throughout the day, the better it is for your blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, weight management and even your mood. Every time you exercise, you’re releasing feel-good endorphins.
As well as squatting, any other short burst of exercise will trigger a similar result. Tie them onto existing habits to encourage movement throughout your day, without having to carve out big chunks of time.
My ideal recommendation would be to get up every 30 minutes and move for three minutes. Most of us spend nine to 10 hours a day seated and prolonged periods of sitting are detrimental to our long-term health and getting up regularly breaks that up. But any movement, even just the 45 seconds they looked at in the study, is beneficial.