Yes. You read it right. But…not cake/biscuit/crisps snacking – sorry!
We’re talking about…movement snacking.
You didn’t get out on a long dog walk/go swimming/go on a hilly bike ride/play tennis/go to the gym. You feel guilty and frustrated. “I’ll never do enough exercise. It’s hard to fit activity into my life. I’m either too busy or too tired. I don’t have the energy I used to. I may as well do nothing.”
NO! STOP! READ ON! This is where movement snacking comes in.
Moving, just getting up out of your chair, for a short time, absolutely counts.
We still need our full “meals” of gym workouts, longer walks, running, riding, etc. But movement snacks can help us move more, manage stress, and feel better. They can also be a good way to start healthy habits.
Often, we think of activity as “all or nothing”. Try some of these movement snacks instead – some movement is always better than none:
- Roll out of bed and start the day with a few stretches, or go up and down the stairs a few times, before breakfast – start your day moving, feel positive, and work up a bit of an appetite for breakfast
- Balance on one leg, or do a few squats while brushing your teeth
- Walk round the block before breakfast. A 10-minute walk in daylight first thing not only gets your body moving and gives it a wake-up stretch; it also sets your circadian rhythms for the day, and thus helps you sleep better at night
- Park further away from your final destination – walk a little further to get there
- If you spend the day indoors or in an office, get outside at lunchtime for a few minutes. You’ll have to move a little to get there, and going out will also clear your head.
- Always go to the furthest loo at home or when out, ideally up or down a set of stairs. If you can, go up two steps at a time. You just did some resistance lunges.
- D|rink more water – you’ll have to go to the loo up the stairs more often.
- If you’re stuck in the office, or indoors at home, do some desk stretches:
- On a weekday evening, do a spot of hoovering, get some chores out the way so there are fewer for the next day or weekend. Then, you moved more during your day. And that leaves more time a decent walk or swim the next day or at the weekend.
Enjoy snacking!