Small Amounts of Exercise May Be Better Than None

A new study suggests the tiny pulses of exercise may provide cardiac benefit.---

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• Globally, 31% of adults fail to meet recommended physical activity levels.

• According to the WHO’s principle that ‘every move counts’, even short bouts of physical activity contribute to health benefits.

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It has been well established and accepted that exercise imparts significant benefits for one’s heart. However, it has been hotly debated and unknown how much is needed to provide that advantage. A recent study from the UK suggests that even tiny and episodic exercise may be beneficial.

In one of the possibly worst-named medical terms, these brief bouts are referred to as “exercise snacks.” For obvious reasons, this is not the name I would have chosen; yet, here we are. Eleven randomized controlled trials of exercise and its effect on cardio-metabolic health and cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness were reviewed in mostly sedentary adults over age 65.

Exercise snacks were defined as structured bouts lasting ≤5 min, performed at least twice daily, ≥3 times/week, for ≥2 weeks. The interventions varied in duration (4–12 weeks), frequency (3–7 days/week) and intensity (moderate-to-vigorous to near-maximal).

Cardiorespiratory fitness improved moderately. However, muscular fitness did not. The authors found little evidence that other outcomes, such as muscle strength, blood pressure, and lipid profiles, improved. Cardiorespiratory fitness is the same as cardiac endurance.

Conclusions:

Moderate certainty of evidence indicated that exercise snacks improved cardiorespiratory fitness in physically inactive adults. However, evidence for benefits on muscular endurance in older adults was limited, and the current data do not support their effectiveness for improving other cardiometabolic health markers.

What The Study Adds:

• Exercise snacks may be a time-efficient alternative for improving cardiorespiratory fitness in physically inactive adults and muscular endurance in older adults.

• Adherence rates for exercise snacks were notably high (82.8%), highlighting the potential feasibility and acceptability of this approach in real world unsupervised settings.

The study suggests that it is never too late, nor is it too little, to exercise as you age. Patients should be encouraged to engage in daily exercise, even if it seems trivial or small.