Exercise Snacks: What They Are + Why You Should Use Them
You know I’m all about keeping fitness realistic and attainable—because life can get busy, right? Sometimes it feels impossible to block out 45 solid minutes for a workout. But guess what? You don’t have to!
Today, we’re diving into the power of exercise snacks. These bite-sized bursts of movement can fit into your busiest days and still give you amazing results. If you’re ready to learn how a little movement here and there can transform your body, your mood, and your life, this episode is for you!
What I discuss:
Exercise snacks are short bursts of movement, 5 to 10 minutes at a time, spread throughout your day.
These mini sessions keep your metabolism active, burning more calories and preventing energy crashes from long periods of sitting.
Moving even briefly after meals helps stabilize blood sugar, preventing sharp spikes and crashes that lead to hunger and fat storage.
Frequent movement improves focus and reduces brain fog, helping you stay productive without feeling drained.
Endorphin boosts from exercise snacks lift your mood and lower stress throughout the day, instead of relying on a single long workout.
Taking 10 minutes to move your body every hour can add up to a full workout at the end of the day.
It’s all about consistency, not perfection—every bit of movement counts toward feeling stronger, more energized, and confident in your body.
If you loved this episode, I know you’ll also love…
Episode 480: The Power of Small Efforts in Your Fitness Journey
https://www.juliealedbetter.com/embrace-your-real/the-power-of-small-efforts-in-your-fitness-journey
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Transcript:
(0:00) Hey there, beautiful human. You're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter, (0:06) a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I dish you a dose of real talk and (0:12) actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving (0:17) your authentic self.Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real. Let's get in. Let's go.(0:27) Hello, and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace Your Real podcast. I am so excited (0:33) to be talking about realistic, attainable fitness goals, especially as a busy mom of a seven-month (0:40) old. I feel like sometimes, at least in this season of my life, it feels impossible to block (0:46) out like a solid 45-minute workout.And so that's why in today's episode, I just kind of want to (0:52) dive into the power of exercise snacks. If you've never heard of this term before, (0:57) these are basically just bite-sized bursts of movement that you can fit into even your busiest (1:02) days so that you can stay consistent with your movement and you can start to see results even (1:08) from little movement, because little movement here and there can genuinely transform your body, (1:13) your mood, and your life. And so that is exactly what we're going to be talking about in today's (1:17) episode.But before we dive in, I want to share this review. It comes from Kay Whisper. She gives (1:22) a five-star review and said, positive energy and easy listening.This is one of my favorite (1:27) podcasts. Love listening to Julie and her information is great. Thank you for being a (1:31) positive influence.Love it. Thank you so much. I love all of your guys' reviews.If you guys (1:37) could scooch over to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review, that would mean so much to me (1:41) and our team. Just kind of know how this podcast or maybe a particular episode in general is helping (1:46) you. Also for people who stumble upon the podcast, they tend to look at the reviews first before (1:52) diving in.So thank you in advance for doing that. If you tune in over on Spotify, you can still (1:57) rate the podcast. So if you go to the podcast page, type in Embrace Your Real into the search bar, (2:03) you'll be able to see on the main page that you can rate the podcast.And that would mean (2:07) so much to me over there on Spotify. So thank you. Thank you.Thank you in advance for doing that. (2:12) Okay. So let's kind of start with the basics.So what are exercise snacks? Well, I want you to (2:16) think of them as short bursts of movement. So literally five to 10 minutes at a time. So (2:20) spreading those throughout your day.So instead of blocking off, like I said, that chunk of, (2:26) you know, one long workout, whether that's 45 minutes, an hour, you break it up into smaller, (2:31) more manageable sessions. And these snacks add up to the same amount of time of movement. By the (2:37) end of the day, I kind of want to just give you a breakdown example.So let's say, you know, (2:41) you do a 10 minute bodyweight circuit before you jump into work, or you have a brisk, (2:46) you know, five to seven minute walk around your house during your mid morning break, (2:50) you have a few sets of air squats, or maybe a circuit or a superset before your lunch, (2:57) and then you have another 10, maybe 12 minute session on your walking pad, or even stretching (3:03) before dinner, right? Very, very simple. But the best part is that science says that these small (3:10) sessions are actually can be just as effective as a single workout, especially again, we are (3:16) talking about these busy seasons of life where it is just not possible to get those big, longer (3:21) sessions in on a regular basis. So what is the alternative? This is the second best to that (3:27) alternative, because let's be real sitting all day, genuinely, especially if you have a desk job, (3:33) that has become part of our lives, but it's really not doing our bodies any favors.And so studies (3:38) have shown, you know that by spending over eight hours a day, even if you're working from home, (3:44) you can slow down your metabolism, which will make it harder to burn fat and even increase (3:49) your risk of things like back pain, diabetes, heart issues. And before you say but I work out (3:54) even regular exercise doesn't totally undo the effects of sitting too much. And so that's why (4:00) moving throughout the day is so important, even in the small ways.And again, this can be on top (4:05) if you do if you are in a season of life where you're able to manage those, you know, three to (4:10) five workouts, and it's 30 to 60 minute workouts, that's great, you can still implement exercise (4:16) snacks into your day. But it also if you're a busy mom like me, and you just don't have intentional (4:21) time to do like 30 or 45 minutes every single day, or even a couple days a week, maybe you have one (4:28) or two days a week that you can manage that. But the rest of the days, it's just not realistic.(4:31) I want you to know that exercise snacks are going to be so helpful for you, right? Because the great (4:38) news is that you don't need to completely overhaul your life to feel better adding in (4:42) tiny movement breaks, like even walking around for a couple minutes every hour or doing you know, (4:49) even a few squats while your coffee brews, those things make a big difference. And these small (4:54) steps keep your muscles engaged, that your energy steady and your focus sharper. Plus, you'll feel (4:59) so much better when you're not glued to your chair all day.Remember, it's not about being perfect, (5:03) but it's about finding ways to honor your body in the everyday moments. And so what's kind of the (5:09) point of me sharing this, it's not to tell you that exercise snacks are better for you than (5:13) regular workouts. But I do want to share and I want you to see that small burst of movement (5:19) throughout your day can be just as effective in their own way.Because here's the thing, (5:24) so many of us fall into this all or nothing mindset where we think if we can't crush our (5:29) usual dumbbell workout or stick to the plan perfectly, we might as well just skip it all (5:34) together. And if that sounds familiar, trust me, I've been there. I, especially in this postpartum (5:39) season, I'm still learning that all or nothing mindset because prior to having Blake, like I, (5:45) and I've talked about this before in the podcast, but like, I legitimately don't know what I did (5:48) with all the time that I had, like it is insane.Once you become a parent, you guys know this, like (5:53) you have so little time compared to what you did going from zero to one. And I'm like, (5:59) what in the world did I do with all that time? But anyways, I have fallen victim to this as well, (6:04) just in my mind being like, oh, you know, I don't have time for a full 30 minute workout. So I'm (6:09) just not going to work out at all today.No, I'm telling you that even a five minute core circuit (6:14) or a five to 10 minute circuit, uh, or just walking on my walking pad that has literally (6:20) transformed this season of my life. And so enough on that, I kind of want to dive into more reasons (6:25) why an hour long workout really isn't necessarily superior to taking these exercise snacks throughout (6:32) the day. So number one with exercise snacks, you get endorphin boost all day long.So these (6:37) frequent movement breaks, they actually release small doses of endorphins, which is your happy (6:42) hormone. And this is going to work to improve your mood, reduce your stress and boost your focus. (6:47) And let's be real.These are all things that most of us need more of, right? Better mood, (6:51) less stress, more focus. Yes, please. So instead of getting just one big endorphin rush from a (6:57) longer workout, like a 30 minute or a 60 minute workout, you get these little mood boosts throughout (7:02) the day.And this can be an absolute game changer, especially for those mamas out there who just need (7:07) a little break. So maybe instead of your closet break, you're taking a little, you know, you're (7:11) closing yourself. You're locking yourself literally in the bathroom, because I know once your baby (7:16) starts crawling and getting all over the place, your baby's gonna go right back in that toilet (7:20) room with you.But if you can kind of contain them for just five minutes, close that door, (7:25) do some squats, do some breathing techniques, walking in place, all of those things, that is (7:30) going to be a game changer for you. Number two, exercise snacks help to reduce that annoying brain (7:36) fog. So sitting for long periods drains your energy and clouds your focus.We all know that (7:41) this is real. This is, you know, science has proved this. And so that's why regular movement (7:45) breaks are so helpful as they refresh your mind and help you to stay sharp.So if you get, (7:51) get up and move for even if it's five minutes or seven minutes or 10 minutes, every, you know, (7:56) 45 to 60 minutes, you'll get way more done than you would if you just tried to work for three (8:02) to four hours straight. And just remember that your brain isn't wired to concentrate for that (8:07) long at one time. And so a quick exercise snack helps it to reset so that you can get back into (8:14) business and be more effective with your time.Number three, exercise snacks help to boost your (8:19) metabolism. They give it a little boost. So frequent bursts of movement, they actually (8:24) keep your NEAT, which is N-E-A-T.So if you ever see that in capitals, N-E-A-T, that means (8:29) non-exercise activity thermogenesis. They keep that high. And NEAT includes all of the calories that (8:35) you're burning through daily activities.Think walking, cleaning, or even just fidgeting. By (8:41) moving more throughout your day, you're keeping your metabolism engaged and burning more calories (8:46) overall, even outside of traditional exercise sessions. And this helps your body from entering (8:52) an energy conservation mode, which often happens with this prolonged period of sitting.And so (8:58) when you are staying sedentary for long hours, your body slows down the processes like calorie (9:05) burn and fat metabolism, making it harder to maintain that energy balance throughout the day. (9:09) So regular movement breaks are not only going to keep your metabolism active, but it's also going (9:15) to improve circulation, reduce stiffness, and just overall contribute to better health. This also (9:21) helps with water retention, especially ladies who are pregnant.I will tell you, like even towards (9:28) 38, 39 weeks, I was still walking 10 to 12,000 steps a day. And it was a total game changer, (9:35) just in terms of water retention. So whether you ate a little bit more the night before, (9:41) you consumed a little bit more salt, you are maybe not drinking as much water, or you haven't (9:45) been drinking as much water, you just feel bloated overall.You feel like you have some (9:48) water retention. Get on that walking pad. It is just going to help improve so many things.(9:54) Number four, exercise snacks balance your blood sugar, especially if you take an exercise snack (9:59) after a meal. So let me give you kind of a quick lesson on blood sugar so that you can understand (10:04) why this is beneficial. So blood sugar or glucose is the sugar in the bloodstream that your body (10:10) uses for energy.So when you eat especially carbohydrates, your body's going to break (10:14) that down into glucose, which then enters your blood. This raises your blood sugar levels. And (10:20) to manage this, your body releases insulin, which is a hormone that acts like a key to let glucose (10:25) into your cells, where it's either used as energy or stored for later.And here's where the problem (10:30) can really start. So certain foods can cause your blood sugar to spike too quickly. Think of this (10:35) like a sugar roller coaster.So your energy shoots up, but it crashes just as fast. These spikes make (10:41) your body release a lot of insulin to bring your blood sugar back down. And over time, your cells (10:47) can start ignoring the insulin.This is actually called insulin resistance, if you've ever heard (10:52) of that. When that happens, your body has to work even harder to produce that glucose, which can (10:58) lead to fat storage, especially belly fat, which increases hunger and also has a higher risk of (11:05) more serious health conditions, especially like diabetes. Now, this is kind of where the exercise (11:10) snack comes in.So they help your muscles to use up the glucose more effectively, which keeps your (11:15) blood sugar levels more stable. So for example, if you move for a few minutes after your meal, (11:20) your muscles soak up more glucose, which means that there's less left floating in your blood. (11:26) And this reduces those sharp blood sugar spikes and actually helps to prevent the insulin roller (11:32) coaster.So when your blood sugar stays steady, you're less likely to feel extreme hunger or even (11:38) those energy crashes. You'll have more consistent energy, better focus, and a reduced risk of long (11:44) term health problems, especially like weight gain or diabetes. So in short, these tiny exercise breaks (11:50) are a powerful way to kind of support your body's ability to process the glucose and keep your (11:55) metabolism working smoothly.Okay, so now you kind of understand why these exercise snacks are so (12:01) helpful. Let's kind of get into the practical side. Like how do you actually incorporate these (12:06) exercise snacks into your day? So here's some of my ideas.Number one, I'm going to just say it, (12:12) but use the Movement with Julia app. I know this is totally biased, but I firmly believe that this (12:18) is the perfect app for you. And not only because it has the dumbbell only workouts, which it does, (12:23) five brand new dumbbell only workouts.But if you don't have access to dumbbells, I actually have (12:27) something called Flex Workouts in there. And I have a whole section of just bodyweight workouts. (12:33) And these are one-off workouts that you can do at any time.But even if, so whether you do, you know, (12:38) spend five to 10 minutes on a program circuit where you do have access to some dumbbells, (12:43) because really all you need for my workouts are a small space, a few pair of dumbbells. If you (12:48) have a bench, amazing, but I always give no bench alternates. I always genuinely give bodyweight (12:53) exercises, especially for moves like lower body movements.I typically always give a bodyweight (12:58) exercise. So even if you open up the app and you don't have your dumbbells readily available, (13:02) or maybe you don't want to use them in that moment, you can still open up like a lower body (13:07) workout and then just click on the alternate exercises. Those are typically all bodyweight (13:11) exercises.So you can literally do that with, you know, if you see like a tri set, which is three (13:16) exercises back to back programmed, you try to do, you know, two or three rounds of a tri set in (13:22) that five to 10 minute period. It is so amazing. It's so incredible.And even if you were to do (13:28) that, you, you know, on your, your first break, let's say your second break, you did like a (13:33) walking pad, like 10 minutes walking pad. And then on your third break of the day, you did another (13:38) circuit or another superset or a circuit and a superset in that, you know, 10 to 12 minutes, (13:43) you're breaking it up throughout the day. But by the end of the day, you've completed the (13:47) whole workout without needing that dedicated block of time, like I mentioned, because I get (13:51) it.Like if you're busy, whether you're a working mom, whether you are a stay at home mom, and you (13:57) just literally don't have a lot of time, like all together that you have, you know, kids are on (14:01) different schedules and all of that. I totally get it. So try to break it up throughout your day and (14:05) see how that works.Some other ideas, frequent walks. You guys know I'm a huge believer and a (14:13) walking pad. If you can get a walking pad from Amazon, they are so worth your time.So whether (14:18) you're working, you have a standup desk, you're working, or you're maybe even scrolling on your (14:22) phone or put it in your living room or where you have your TV, whether that's in your bedroom, (14:27) your living room, wherever in the basement and watch a show. If it's a Netflix show, you know, (14:32) 25, 30 minutes, think about how much time you actually spend just sitting down. You will feel (14:37) so much better.I know by the end of the day, the only thing that you want to do is just sit down. (14:41) But trust me when I tell you, even if you start to get on for five minutes and say, OK, I'm going (14:45) to do this for five minutes and then I'll sit down and veg out, I guarantee eight times out of 10, (14:50) not going to say nine times out of 10, eight times out of 10, you will likely say, OK, I can do this (14:55) another five minutes. OK, I can do this another five minutes.And lo and behold, you've gotten (14:58) through the whole episode and you've been walking the entire time instead of just sitting down. (15:03) Many bodyweight exercises. So like I mentioned, I do have what's called flex workouts inside my (15:08) Julia app.So those are one off workouts that you can literally log at any time. You can go into the (15:13) app, go to the flex section. And I have like bodyweight workouts.I have one demo workouts. (15:17) I have so many different types of workouts that you can literally log at any time. So it's not (15:22) the scheduled workouts.They're separate. And these are workouts, again, that you can log, (15:25) you know, every day, every other day. However, whenever you want to do it, you can log those (15:30) workouts.But think about this, like stacking these exercise snacks onto things that you're (15:35) already doing. So, for example, let's just say you're brushing your teeth or you're brewing your (15:40) coffee. Try to do some calf raises.Try to do some squats. Make it fun. Make it a part of your (15:45) routine.And the key takeaway that I want you to take from today's episode is just remembering that (15:51) movement is cumulative, right? So whether you're doing one long workout or you're breaking it into (15:55) smaller chunks, what matters most is that you're moving consistently. And exercise snacks make (16:00) fitness feel a lot overwhelming and more doable, especially on those busy days or just those busy (16:06) seasons that you're in. Because if you don't have the time to get that standard workout in, (16:10) it doesn't mean that you can't work out at all.Even just taking those three exercise snacks a day, (16:15) that's going to lead to an amazing experience overall. And that's going to lead to results (16:21) over time, right? Because at the end of the day, again, it's not about perfection. It's about (16:25) consistency, no matter how imperfect it may look.It's really about finding what works for you and (16:30) celebrating every bit of progress. The more you move, the more you'll feel energized, focused, (16:35) and confident. And that is the real win.Let me quickly recap what we talked about in today's (16:39) episode. So number one, exercise snacks are the short bursts of movement. So five to 10 minutes (16:44) at a time, spread throughout your day.Number two, these mini sessions, these will keep your (16:49) metabolism active, burning more calories and preventing energy crashes from long periods of (16:54) sitting. Number three, moving even briefly after meals that can actually help to stabilize that (17:00) blood sugar, preventing those sharp spikes and crashes that lead to that hunger and fat storage. (17:05) Number four, frequent movement improves focus and reduces brain fog.It can also help you stay (17:10) productive without feeling drained. Number five, endorphin boosts from exercise snacks. They (17:15) actually lift your mood and lower the stress throughout the day instead of relying on one (17:21) single long workout with that long chunk of time that you just don't have.Number six, (17:26) remember taking even 10 minutes to move your body every hour that can and will add up to a full (17:32) workout at the end of the day. And last but not least, number seven, it's just all about consistency, (17:36) not perfection. So every bit of movement counts towards feeling stronger, more energized, and (17:42) confident in your body.So if you are ready to kind of embrace the power of exercise snacks, (17:47) I hope that this inspired you to kind of just rethink how you move throughout your day. So (17:52) whether that is a quick tri set or super set or circuit inside the mood with Julia app or a walk (17:57) around the block or a few bodyweight exercises or just some time on your walking pad while you're (18:02) vegging out, scrolling or watching a Netflix show, I guarantee you will feel so much better. Also, (18:09) I just briefly want to talk about the moon with Julia app.If you're not familiar, (18:12) this again is going to give you five brand new workouts every single week. This is going to keep (18:18) things interesting to help you bring real lasting results to your fitness journey. So if you're new (18:24) to the app, I just want to encourage you to start out with two to three days on the app.So that's (18:29) upper body, lower body, full body, you will be on the right track for building the body that you (18:34) want by just doing those workouts alone. And again, if you need to break it up in this season (18:39) of life, that is totally fine. If you can commit to two to three days a week doing a 30 minute (18:43) workout.So one long stretch, that's amazing. And do implement these exercise snacks on the (18:48) other days. There's so many different things that you can implement.Again, it's not about (18:53) perfection. It is about consistency. And if you love this episode, please share it with a friend (18:58) who could use some encouragement to move more.And also don't forget to tag me on movement with (19:03) Julie. I love, love, love connecting with you guys. Also, if you aren't already following the (19:07) podcast page, Embrace Your Reel, be sure to do so.I would love to see those exercise snacks in (19:14) action. So you can either tag me on literally any of my socials. So Embrace Your Reel, Julie (19:19) A. Labetter, Movement with Julie, we all see it.We all love it. And if you love this episode, (19:24) I know you will also love episode 480, the power of small efforts in your fitness journey. So I (19:29) will go ahead and link that in the show notes as well.But that is all that I have for today's (19:33) episode. I hope that you found this helpful. I love you so dang much.I mean it and I'll talk to (19:37) you in the next one. All right, sister, that's all I got for you today. But I have two things that I (19:50) need you to do.First thing if you're not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so Julie (19:55) A. Labetter. Yes, it's with an A in the middle for that daily post workout reel talk, healthy tips (20:01) and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing, be sure (20:07) to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode.Thank you so much for joining me. It (20:13) means the absolute world. And I'm going to leave you with one last thought.The most beautiful women (20:18) that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being (20:24) authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there (20:30) and Embrace Your Reel because you're worth it.