Want the health benefits of strength training but don’t fancy the gym? Try ‘exercise snacks’

The science is clear: resistance training is imperative for aging well. Lifting weights (or doing bodyweight exercises like lunges, squats, or push-ups) can lend a hand you live independently longer, strengthen your bones, reduce your risk of diseases like diabetes, and even improve Sleep and mental health.

But not everyone loves the gym. Maybe you feel like you’re not a “gym person” and never will be, or you’re too ancient to start. Being a gymgoer can be steep and time-consuming, and some people say they feel undesirable Or awkward in the gym.

The good news is that you don’t have to go to the gym or have a lot of free time to reap the health benefits of endurance training.

You could try “exercise snacks” instead.

What is snacking during exercise?

Snacking during exercise involves doing multiple shorter exercise sessions (even 20 seconds) throughout the day – often with minimal or no equipment. That’s okay if you have a few hours of rest between.

You can do straightforward exercises using your own body weight, such as:

These snacks during exercise can lend a hand boost muscle mass, strength and physical fitness.

It’s okay to hold on to a nearby object for balance if necessary. And doing these exercises regularly will also improve your balance. This in turn reduces the risk of falls and fractures.

OK, I did all that, now what?

Great! You can also try using resistance bands or dumbbells to do the five exercises mentioned earlier, as well as some of the following exercises:

When using resistance bands, hold them tightly and make sure they are securely attached to a stationary object.

Snacking during exercise works well when you combine it with an activity you do frequently throughout the day. Perhaps you can:

• do a few extra squats every time you get up from bed or a chair

• do some lunges during a TV commercial break

• do a few half-squats while waiting for the kettle to boil

• do a few push-ups on an elevated surface (supporting your body with your hands on a chair or bench while doing the push-up) before eating lunch

• Do some calf raises while brushing your teeth.

What does the evidence say about snacking during exercise?

One test A study was conducted on older adults who had no history of endurance training and consumed exercise snacks twice a day at home for four weeks.

Each session consisted of five straightforward bodyweight exercises (sit-stand, sit knee extension, stand knee bend, march in place, and stand calf raise). Participants performed each exercise continuously for one minute, with a one-minute break between exercises.

These miniature, straightforward exercise sessions, which lasted just nine minutes, were enough to improve a person’s ability to get up from a chair by 31% after four weeks (compared to a control group that didn’t exercise). Leg strength and thigh muscle size also improved.

Studies involving one of us (Jackson Fyfe) have also shown shown older adults found that “exercise snacking” was feasible and enjoyable if done at home once, twice, or three times a day for four weeks.

Snacking during exercise may be a more sustainable approach to improving muscle health for people who don’t want to or can’t lift heavier weights in the gym.

A little can give a lot

We know from other studies that the more you exercise, the more likely you are to… continue practicing in the future.

Very miniature resistance training, although with heavier weights, may be more effective nice than the customary approach where people try to do many, many sets.

We also know that miniature and repeated exercise sessions can cause breaks periods sedentary lifestyle (which usually means sitting too much). Sitting too much increases your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, while exercise and snacking can lend a hand keep you blood sugar levels are stable.

Of course, longer-term studies are needed. But the evidence we do have suggests that exercise snacks really do lend a hand.

Why does all this matter?

As you age, you lose strength and mass in the muscles you employ to walk or stand. Everyday tasks can become a struggle.

That’s all it contributes on disability, hospitalization, chronic diseases and the need to employ community support and care centers for the elderly.

While maintaining muscle mass and strength you can:

• reduce joint pain

• do what you like

• live independently in your own home

• delay or even eliminate the need for steep health care or nursing home care for older adults.

What if I walk a lot – will that be enough?

Walking can lend a hand maintain some lower body muscle mass, but it will not preserve it. upper body muscles.

If you have difficulty getting up from a chair or can only walk miniature distances without getting out of breath, resistance training is the best way to regain the independence and mobility you have lost.

This is even more crucial for women, since muscle mass and strength tend to be lower in older women than in men. And if you’ve been diagnosed with osteoporosis, which is more common in older women than men, snacking on resistance exercises at home can improve balance, strength and bone mineral density. All of which can reduce your risk of falls and fractures.

You do not need heavy weights or fancy equipment to lend a hand you benefit from resistance training.

Will you start exercising by snacking today?