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When we say snack, we usually mean food, but have you heard of an exercise snack? Exercise snacks are short sessions of physical activity that might be a convenient addition to your everyday routine. Movement of any kind can benefit our overall health. Mini exercise sessions or “exercise snacks” may help you reach your physical activity goals.

Americans tend to be very sedentary, especially those who work at desks. When you remain seated for prolonged periods, your spine adapts to those positions and does not move as well. This increases your risk of injury when engaging in other activities ¹.

Our bodies and brains function better when we move regularly ². Every 30 minutes to an hour, stand up and move for 2-4 minutes. Take a short walk around the office or building or stretch by your desk. 

Try exercise snacks for these reasons:

• Boost energy – Movement gets our blood flowing which promotes energy production within the body.
• Promote brain power – Taking a break from our work helps us refocus once we return.
• Lower stress – Short exercise sessions release feel-good hormones, or endorphins, which naturally lower stress levels.
• Flexibility – Busy schedule? Include exercise snacks throughout your day for times when a 30-minute workout isn’t doable.

Start adding exercise snacks to your routine today!

1. Pham V. Sit up straight: Futureproof your body against chronic pain with 12 simple movements. Scribner; 2022.
2. Wendy Suzuki: The brain-changing benefits of exercise | TED. Youtube.com Web site. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHY0FxzoKZE. Updated 2018. Accessed 8-20-, 2022.

Summer is a great time to enjoy the outdoors and stay active, but the heat can also make it a bit challenging sometimes. However, with some planning and the right strategies, we can maintain our outdoor physical activity routine while staying safe and cool.

Tips to stay active during the hot summer months:

Choose the Right Time of the Day: This is the obvious tip, but try to avoid the peak hours of high temperatures between 11 am and 5 pm if possible. Instead, opt for early morning or evening times when the temperature is slightly lower and outdoor activities can be more comfortable.

Stay Hydrated: Proper hydration is critical when we are trying to be physically active in the heat. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after the outdoor activity. By the time we feel thirsty, we are already partially dehydrated, so it is a good idea to keep sipping water regularly during our time outdoors.

Dress Appropriately: Wear lightweight, breathable, and moisture-wicking clothing while engaging in outdoor activities. Light colors can help reflect the sun’s rays and help keep us stay cooler. Wearing a hat and sunglasses to protect the head, face, and eyes from the sun also helps. Lastly, remember to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 to exposed skin.

Find Indoor Activities: On exceptionally hot days, it may be a good idea to take the workout indoors in a temperature-controlled environment so we are not exposed to extreme temperatures. Joining a gym, attending a fitness class, or following an online workout at home are all good options to maintain our physical activity routine during hot summer days.

Listen to Your Body: It is important to pay attention to how our body responds to the heat. Signs of heat exhaustion include dizziness, nausea, headache, and muscle cramps. We should stop our outdoor workout/activity if we experience any of these symptoms, move to a cooler place, and hydrate.

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When summer arrives, so do hotter temperatures. The heat can present an added challenge for those of us who enjoy exercising outdoors by means of walking, running, biking, and other aerobic activities that get the heart and lungs pumping. However, if you have access to a pool, lake, or even the ocean, you may want to consider trying swimming for the summer! Not only does it keep you cool, it’s a full-body workout that strengthens the heart and lungs and is easy on the joints.

While swimming laps is a tried and true workout, there are many other ways to get active in the water.

A few ideas include:

• Jumping jacks: Do these as you would on land, but don’t let your arms come out of the water. Utilizing the resistance of the water is key!

• Seal push-ups: While in a pool, place your palms on the edge and push yourself up out of the water as if you are a seal breaching on a rock. Then, using the same controlled resistance, lower yourself back down into the water. 

• Jump squats: Standing waist-deep in water, squat low bending your knees, and then jump up as far as you can out of the water.

• Flutter kicks: Hold on to the edge of a pool or a flotation device and flutter kick your legs behind you, with your body facing either upward or downward. Both are effective at working the muscle groups in your legs.

• Tread water: In water deeper than your height, see how long you can tread water using your arms and legs. If you prefer, you can wear a lifejacket to stay afloat while moving your arms and legs in a treading motion.

Aside from individual exercises, group aquatic fitness classes can be found at many community pools and fitness centers. These classes can stretch beyond basic water aerobics and include classes such as aquatic dance, aquatic boxing, and aquatic yoga, among many other kinds of movement. There are also often classes tailored to those with specific concerns such as arthritis or fibromyalgia. I encourage you to try a few, explore a new kind of movement, and find one that you enjoy.

If you struggle with exercising outside in the summer heat like I do, swimming is a great alternative to try to switch up your exercise routine and support your overall health. Whether you swim on your own, in a group class, or with family and friends, keep it fun and enjoy the summer sun!

Sources

• https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/12/well/move/full-body-workout-pool-exercises.html
• https://blog.royalswimmingpools.com/top-18-swimming-pool-exercises-that-arent-swimming

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Are you looking to switch things up when it comes to your physical activity routine? Check out these sample programs from our colleagues at Eat Smart, Move More NC. Feel free to modify or adapt them as you see fit to meet your current fitness levels. Change up your walking or jogging route for some added variation.

• Walking Program
• Jogging Program
• Strength Training Program

Try a new activity or change up your current routine:

Review the list below and pick one new activity to engage in. Many can be done easily from home and require little to no equipment. Others may require access to an outside facility or fitness studio but are worth looking into if you are interested.

• Swimming or Water Aerobics: Low-impact aerobic exercise that engages most muscles in the body.
• HIIT: High-intensity interval training combines short, maximal-effort work intervals with rest intervals. HIIT workouts are adaptable, quick, and effective. Check out examples of HIIT Workouts, Low-Impact HIIT Workouts for Older Adults, or Tabata Workouts at Home for inspiration.
• EMOM: A type of HIIT workout, every minute-on-the-minute workouts are also very adaptable. Choose 1 or 2 exercises and a number of repetitions for each. Every minute on the minute you complete the exercises and repetitions and then rest for the remainder. Follow this format to create a short and effective workout.
• Boxing/kickboxing: Cardio boxing workouts focus on air punches and do not require any equipment. If you have access to a gym or boxing studio, these classes can be a great way to get your blood pumping and relieve stress.
• TRX: Total resistance exercise training utilizes suspension straps and your body weight for a great muscle-strengthening workout.
• Yoga: Mind-body exercises that involve strength, flexibility, balance, and core training. Start your morning off with these simple yoga stretches for a relaxing start to your day.
• Pilates: Low-impact muscular strength and endurance and flexibility training. A great bodyweight workout you can do from home.
• Barre: Ballet-influenced exercises that involve strength, cardio, and flexibility. You can opt to use light weights or body weight.
• POUND: Did you know drumming can be a full-body workout? POUND combines cardio, strength, pilates, and yoga to get your heart rate up while drumming along to the music.
• Powerlifting or Olympic lifting: These require specific equipment and techniques but certain gyms offer small group or personal training.
• Rock climbing or bouldering: If you have access to an indoor climbing center, it may be worth checking out. All equipment is available on site and the courses are generally changed at some frequency for added variation and challenge. Bouldering is a form of free climbing that does not require a harness.
• Hiking: If you live near a trail, lace up your shoes and get moving.

Think Outside of the “Exercise” Box:

• FootGolf: A sport that combines soccer and golf. The main goal is similar to the main goal of golf: to get the ball from the teeing ground into the hole in the least number of shots possible.  
• Pickleball: This sport is played on a badminton court and combines badminton, tennis, and ping pong. It is a fun way to stay active and with a smaller court, it places lower stress on your knees and joints than tennis.
• Geocaching: A treasure hunt of sorts, geocaching could be a fun way to change up your walking route. All you need is a phone or GPS.
• Plogging: Picking up trash while jogging, or plogging, is an environmentally friendly way to get moving and keep your community clean.

If you need more guidance or inspiration, check out our suggestions for more free ways to exercise at home for additional online resources. Let’s get moving!