However there may be a way to stay physically active, boost your fitness, and reap the health benefits without slogging it out in the gym for hours each week. Enter new fitness trend, ‘fitness snacking’.
Unfortunately the name is slightly misleading; there’s no actual snacking involved. The ‘snacking’ aspect of the name refers to smaller bites of exercise, rather than a full gym-sized main course of fitness.
The idea of ‘fitness snacking’ originally caught on in early 2017, but has seen resurgence in popularity recently thanks to the endorsement of high profile trainers.
One of the biggest advocates for ‘fitness snacking’ is the UK’s self-professed leading trainer Matt Roberts, the man behind bodies such as Naomi Campbell and Tom Ford.
“[Fitness snacking] involves short periods of exercise dotted throughout the day, rather than doing it all in one go,” Roberts explained to The Telegraph's Stella Magazine in the UK. “Keep a tally in your head. I've walked the dog, that's two points. I went for a 20-minute walk at lunchtime, that's another two points.”
The technique has been gaining traction as the perfect antidote to the myriad of excuses personal trainers are faced with on a daily basis. “You don't have time/ you leave the house too early/ you get home too late/ you're tired/ it's back to school,” lamented Roberts. 'I've heard them all.”
By completing short bouts of exercise throughout the day, you’ll effectively accumulate a full workout, without having to cop a huge sweat. Still need some inspiration? Try ‘snacking’ on the below during your day, and start your journey towards ‘fitness feasting’:
Fitness 'Snack' Ideas
- Walk around the block during your coffee break
- Whip out 20 push-ups at work, 4-6 times per day
- Smash 30 squats each time you brush your teeth
- Sprint up the stairs at home/work/the shops
- Power through 40 crunches before and after bed
