The Power of Intermittent Exercise

When people go to their primary care physician for a checkup they can get a lot of good advice, especially if they ask questions. You will get simple lifestyle strategies of a wide variety of topics in layman’s terms and that includes fitness. Nothing fancy, they may say things like “cardio” or “weight training” but for the longest time most doctors have placed the most emphasis on the 30 minutes of sweating per day rule. And that is a good rule. But what about the other 23 ½ hours of the day?

If one’s only exercise consists of their workout program and zero significant movement otherwise, well... That’s not enough for most people, especially people with specific fitness goals. We are designed to function best with frequent bouts of movement and activity throughout the day. It is popular to try to track 10,000 steps per day, for example.

Let’s use an office employee as an example. He or she walks a bit during a break then sits and knocks out a project on the computer then walks while having a 1-on-1 with a colleague and back to answer emails and so on throughout the day. By lights out, they can easily accomplish 10,000 steps, or more! Intermittent movement-based activity for the day achieved.

Studies show that frequent movement throughout the day is a more effective strategy for improving everything that motivates us to exercise in the first place. Not just compared to sedentary individuals. This includes people who have a dedicated workout of the day. The improvements include but are not limited to:

So, what does it look like? We can create 4 tiers based on ability level, but logistics may be the reason to choose a particular style.

Default movement - Barring a severe handicap, everyone does this every time they go to the kitchen, get the mail, run an errand, etc. Keep an eye on the time and try to do one or more of these things every hour. Creating a habit like this can lead to a desire to slowly increase frequency and intensity.

Intentional movement - These are our 10,000 steppers! They set a timer and take many brisk walks all day long, perform some simple stretches and maybe sneak a few pushups. These enthusiasts always take the stairs and park their cars at the far end of the parking lot!

Activity based - The multitaskers. Some people realize that certain activities are equal to or greater than walking. They do their own yard maintenance and any home improvements they can handle. They love sports and recreation. And when they walk, they go uphill as much as possible!

Microbursts - These individuals have taken their fitness regimen to another place entirely. Instead of the traditional 1-hour bout, this concept follows hourly 3 to 5-minute micro-workouts of full-on intensity levels which net 30- to 50-minutes of daily exercise. Tough to manage? Maybe three 10-minute bouts in a day is doable. The concept is, the more times per day one ramps up, the more times per day they need to recover. This nets many more minutes each day in which a person’s vitals are elevated.

The main takeaway here is that a sedentary lifestyle is undeniably unhealthy, therefore, a “mostly” sedentary lifestyle can have negative impacts over time. The good news? Incorporating frequent movement throughout your day is both achievable and highly beneficial.