Can you “microdate” the exercise?

“Micro -use“Initially, it meant downloading small amounts of psychhediles (such as mushrooms) to increase mood or efficiency, with fewer side effects.

But this term began to mean everything in which you turn on a much lower “dose” of something – and you still benefit.

Does it work for exercises? If you can’t find time for a 30-minute run, will you do something for your health shorter activity?

Here’s what the evidence says.

The minimum you should move

According to World Health Organization (WHO) Adults should aim every week for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercises – which means that it is difficult to conduct a conversation – or 75 minutes of energetic intensity – at the end you can hardly catch air. Or you can do a combination of moderate and energetic activity.

This may include such activities as fast walking, cycling, running, swimming or rowing, as well as team sports such as football and basketball.

If you practice every day, you need to do 20-30 minutes of these activities. Or you can do several longer training sessions or matching two or three times a week.

WHO guidelines also recommend that you include measures related to muscle strength (such as weightlifting or high -effects exercises, such as sprint) at least twice a week.

What counts as an exercise?

Accidental activity – unplanned or daily movement, such as playing with children or going to the bus stop – can contribute to the level of physical activity during the week.

Yes, homework can count. For example, duties such as moping and vacuuming usually have Similar physical demand As he goes for a walk.

Although this activity would not be considered energetic, it could contribute to moderate minutes of intensity.

Do smaller fragments work?

Yes, good news is to perform small exercises during the day, they are just as effective as performing one long session.

In fact, this may have additional benefits.

AND Review 2019 Of the 19 studies, this question concerned over 1,000 participants. He found many, shorter “fragments” of exercises during the day, improved heart and lung condition and blood pressure just like performing one longer session.

And there was some evidence that these actual actually led to greater weight loss and lower cholesterol.

The most common way in which this exercise was compared in 19 studies, when one group performed three ten-minute exercise duels five days a week, and the other performing one 30-minute session, five days a week.

Even very short fights can help

Other Research 2019 In young adults, it examined the impact of short “exercise snacks” on fitness. Although small, it had several interesting and positive results.

A group of “snacks” exercises performed three very short sessions a day, three times a week, for six weeks. Each session included a light two-minute warm-up, followed by a 20-second maximum effort sprint-in which you press as much as possible-then one-minute cooling.

In total: only three minutes and 20 seconds of exercise, three times a day, three days a week.

The control group performed one session a day, three days a week, but it was longer – ten minutes in total. This covered two minutes of warm-up, and then three 20-second sprints, with three minutes of recovery of light between sprints, and then one minute cooling.

The “snacks” group recorded a significant improvement in aerobic efficiency, which is one of the strongest predictors Your risk of early death AND General health.

Similar tests He suggested that the same approach can have a positive effect on lowering cholesterol. However, it may not provide enough total exercise time to lose weight.

Shorter – but harder?

The research presented above suggests a shorter exercise session, the harder it is to push.

It may be necessary to adapt your exercise to increase intensity. For example, one minute of exercises with a maximum intensity can be worth two minutes of moderate intensity exercises.

Basically, if you have little time, you’ll get more impacts, becoming harder.

Is it still worth doing longer sessions?

For health and general condition, tests He suggests that there are no defects to break down a long training into smaller fragments.

But there are several reasons why you can still exercise longer.

If you train for a long time (maybe a 10 -kilometer run, 30 -kilometer driving and even a marathon), you’ll have to do a little longer sessions. This will ensure the preparation of muscles and joints to tolerate the requirements of the event and help the body adapt to maximizing performance during the day.

In the case of mental health, there is also some evidence suggesting that performing more than the recommended minimum exercise can be better.

For example, the last two meta -analyzes (studies that review the available evidence) have shown that about an hour of moderate intensity exercises a day can improve significantly Bow AND depression symptoms.

But these studies did not compare the benefits of one session compared to fragments, so you can probably still break your exercise during the day and feel the effect.

Lower line

Each exercise is better than none. If you fight for time, just three minutes a day, spread out at three sessions, it can have a positive effect on our health.

But don’t forget – the shorter the session, the harder it is.