Bite-sized ‘exercise snacks’ could hold the key to better health and fitness

According to a 2021 study, performing short ‘exercise snacks’ every day, rather than longer exercise sessions, was enough to improve metabolic health.

This is an important concept that you could apply to other areas of your life. For example, remembering to do your ab exercises or mobility drills is often an afterthought as you leave the weights section following a tough workout.

But who has the time or energy to fit in another few sets to give your midsection or your mobility the attention it needs?

Some days we don’t even make it to the gym due to our busy schedules, and very few workout splits include a dedicated abs session each week.

But neglecting your these apsects can have serious consequences, from greater injury risk and sub-par sporting performance to a mid-section that doesn’t do justice to the rest of your physique.

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A 10-minute investment

But what if we told you that you could consistently get your ab workout in to develop stronger, more defined abs with just 10 minutes a few times a week?

The benefit of this approach is that you can get your ab and core training done without sacrificing time in the weights section or in other areas of your life. A 10-minute session is also less daunting than a 45-minute workout.

Ideal times to perform your ab session include:

1. First thing in the morning as you roll out of bed.
2. Over lunch at the office.
3. While watching TV at home.

READ MORE | 5 Ways To Fire Up Your Gym Workouts

Create time for other healthful habits

It couldn’t be easier or more convenient. And implementing these 10-minute sessions in your life creates opportunities to get to other important aspects of your fitness routine that we all typically neglect, like mobility and stretching.

The idea is to create a dedicated 10-minute block of time in your day. Use it every second day to perform one of these three ab routines and use the remaining four sessions for mobility, stretching or foam rolling.

Doing so consistently will help you create a habit that can immensely benefit your routine and your life.

Author: Pedro van Gaalen

When he’s not writing about sport or health and fitness, Pedro is probably out training for his next marathon or ultra-marathon. He’s worked as a fitness professional and as a marketing and comms expert. He now combines his passions in his role as managing editor at Fitness magazine.