Exercise snacks: How to sneak more exercise into your day
March 02, 2026
Squeezing a full workout into your busy day can be tough. Warming up, exercising and cooling down all take time. So do the commute to the gym and the minutes spent waiting for your turn to use the equipment — not to mention the shower you’ll need afterward.
But what if you didn’t need any special clothing or equipment — or even that much time — to get some benefit from moving your body around?
That’s where “exercise snacks” come in. These aren’t foods you eat, though. Instead, they’re tiny “bites” of physical activity each day that collectively can make a big difference in your overall health and fitness.
Researchers Karen Basen-Engquist, Ph.D., and Scherezade Mama, Dr.P.H., explored this topic on a recent episode of our Cancerwise podcast. Here are a few highlights from that discussion.
What is an ‘exercise snack,’ anyway?
The concept of exercise snacks is simple: just take a few minutes out of each day to do some small physical activity, and you can improve your health.
“The research in this space is relatively new,” explains Scherezade. “But it’s also quite compelling. One study found evidence that exercise snacks could improve physical function, muscle strength and balance. In older adults, there was even some improvement in cognitive function.”
The term “snacks” is used to make the concept more approachable.
“The point is that you don't necessarily have to set aside a long period of time, have fancy equipment, wear a particular outfit or go anywhere special to accomplish this,” adds Scherezade. “It’s something small you can incorporate easily into your daily life.”
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Exercise snacks: How to sneak more exercise into your day
What qualifies as an exercise snack?
One of the best things about exercise snacks is their flexibility. They can be as short as 10 seconds or as long as 10 minutes. They can also target different components of fitness, such as aerobic exercise, muscle strengthening, flexibility, or balance. The details are entirely up to you.
Here are a few examples:
- Aerobic snacks: Do a few jumping jacks or taking a 5-minute walk.
- Muscle-building snacks: Do a few squats, lunges or push-ups.
- Balance snacks: Dance around for a few minutes when you hear a favorite song.
- Flexibility snacks: Try some yoga poses that don’t require a mat.
“One patient told me they do 20 push-ups every time they go to the bathroom,” notes Scherezade. “Personally, I cannot do that many push-ups. But there are lots of other ways to increase your upper body strength. You can also find modifications to various exercises — such as how to do push-ups against a wall — in our resources at The Learning Center.”
Who benefits most from exercise snacks?
The short answer here is: everyone. If you’re not active and tend to sit a lot, exercise snacks are a great way to start working your way up to a more active lifestyle.
“The thought of doing 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity — which is the current recommendation — might seem a little daunting,” Scherezade explains. “But exercise snacks let you break that up into much smaller, more digestible pieces.”
Exercise snacks are also good if you maintain a regular exercise routine.
“If you’re already getting up and working out for 30 or 45 minutes every morning, that’s great,” notes Basen-Engquist. “But if you turn around and spend the rest of the day sitting behind a desk, that can have its own risks. So, exercise snacks are a good solution to break up your sitting time.”
Listen to the entire podcast to learn more, including how to make the most of exercise snacks with “habit stacking,” and details on programs like Active Living After Cancer and clinical trials like Harmony & Health.
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