If finding a free hour for exercise feels impossible some (or even most) weeks, the good news is that even a few minutes still count. This week, we’re hearing from exercise physiologist Martin Gibala, PhD, who has spent years studying short, intense bursts of activity, about what a sensible "movement snack" looks like for women. Even more interesting, we’re taking a peek at something we talk about less often when it comes to short bites of exercise: how a few minutes of movement may change how you feel and positively impact your mood.
🧠 The takeaway
Movement snacks are brief bursts of activity, about 1 to 2 minutes each, repeated a few times a day, for at least 5 minutes in total daily.
In a randomized crossover trial, six 5-minute walking breaks spread across a workday improved mood and reduced end-of-day fatigue, while a single 30-minute walk did not.
In a study of women who didn't exercise in their leisure time, a median of 3.4 minutes a day of vigorous everyday activity was associated with a 45% lower risk of major cardiovascular events.
⏳ Can you do heart rehab in your living room? Read more.
What is a movement snack?
A movement snack is a short burst of physical activity, often a minute or two, done a few times a day. Think of it as the bite-sized alternative to a full workout. Instead of carving out 30 or 60 minutes in one block, you spread a few brief, brisk efforts across your day. And it’s been proven to be pretty impactful on our health.
In a 2019 McMaster study from Gibala’s lab, sedentary young adults who vigorously climbed three flights of stairs three times a day, three days a week for six weeks, improved their cardiorespiratory fitness compared with a group that didn't exercise.
In other words, a few minutes on the stairs, with no gym and no change of clothes, was enough to measurably improve fitness.
Can a few minutes of movement also improve your mood and energy?
The short answer is kind of. A few minutes of movement have been shown to boost energy, and early research does suggest it may lift your mood, too. In a 2016 randomized crossover trial 30 sedentary adults spent three separate days at a desk: sitting for six hours straight, taking one 30-minute morning walk, or taking a 5-minute walk every hour. Both walking days raised self-reported energy and vigor compared with sitting. But only the hourly 5-minute walks improved mood throughout the day and reduced fatigue by the end.
As for the energy side of the equation, in a 2017 University of Georgia study 10 minutes of low-intensity stair walking made participants feel more energetic than 50 milligrams of caffeine (about the amount in a can of soda).
Both studies were small and involved younger adults, so they can't tell us exactly what happens for women as we age, but a 2026 perspective article in Frontiers in Public Health proposed that short, manageable bouts "may improve mood, perceived energy, and confidence after completion.”
Do you use movement snacks throughout the day?
What should a movement snack look like for women in midlife and beyond?
A sensible movement snack for a woman in her 40s or 50s is a 1- to 2-minute burst of brisk effort, repeated a few times a day. Most of Gibala's suggestions need no equipment or change of clothes. His list of options includes:
Stair climbing
Fast walking while carrying a backpack
Simple bodyweight style exercises like jumping jacks or air squats
Running on the spot
Any stationary equipment such as a cycle ergometer or elliptical machine
"I would suggest 1-2 minute efforts performed a few times per day to ideally accumulate a total of at least 5 minutes daily," says Gibala.
That could be a flight of stairs after your morning coffee and a minute of air squats while the kettle boils. If you have joint pain, balance concerns, or a heart condition, ask your provider which options fit you best.
Are short bursts of exercise really worth it?
"Despite the new messaging in public health guidelines that 'all movement matters,' there is a skepticism that very brief bouts of intermittent exercise can provide meaningful benefits," Gibala says. "The key is the activity needs to involve vigorous effort," he adds.
Vigorous means you're a little out of breath by the end. Gibala puts it at about a 7 on a 10-point scale, where 1 is lying in bed, 5 is steady, moderate exercise, and 10 is sprinting from danger.
Large population studies point in the same direction. In a 2024 British Journal of Sports Medicine study of 13,018 UK women who didn't exercise in their leisure time and wore wrist activity trackers, those with a median of 3.4 minutes a day of vigorous everyday activity had a 45% lower risk of major cardiovascular events over about eight years than women with none.
For energy and mood, the payoff may come sooner: a few minutes that could help you feel more awake, and maybe a little lighter, when the afternoon slump hits.
Sponsored by: Siemens
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The information provided about wellness and health is for general informational and educational purposes only. We are not licensed medical professionals, and the content here should not be considered medical advice. Talk to a doctor before trying any of these suggestions.
