Movement snacks
by Katie Cameron, Nutrition and Physical Activity Project Officer
- January 23, 2025
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Making exercise an ongoing habit is the dream, right? We’ve got some great tips and resources to share to integrate “movement snacks” into our daily routine.
“Movement snacks” or “micro workouts” are short bursts of movement scattered throughout the day that can make a real difference in how we feel and our overall health.
Benefits of movement snacks
Breaking up our sitting time with short bursts of movement has loads of benefits! We can improve blood flow, decrease joint stiffness, increase energy levels, enhance focus, and promote over-all wellbeing. Movement snacks can include a variety of exercises and activities such as stretching, walking, stair climbing, or a quick five-minute body weight workout.
How effective is it?
A recent study found that that three, one-to-two-minute bursts of ‘vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity’ (or VILPA) a day reduced risk of death by 38 per cent among people who don’t engage in regular physical activity. Results were similar for people who do engage in regular exercise, suggesting the benefits of adding more VILPA for everyone are cumulative; that means that the more we do, the better. Other studies show that we can get the same benefits doing short bursts of exercise throughout the day instead of one long continuous session.
Short bursts can look like three x 15-minute sessions or five x five-minute sessions – the key is to fit it into your schedule and do what works best for you.
8 movement snacks options to get into your day
1. Take the stairs
I know, you’ve heard this one many times before, but it is a goodie! Taking the stairs even once a day can get your heart rate up without breaking a sweat. Do you work on level 33? No worries, get off at level 30 and walk up the last 3 floors!
2. Take a stretch break
Stretching can help you relax and feel good. So, take a quick five-minute break to have a stretch.
We have some resources to help inspire you which can be done in any setting. Check them out here.
3. Deskercises
Got a busy day planned at the desk and find it hard to get away? Try to block out three minutes in your calendar to get your blood flowing. Use one of our three-minute workouts below.
4. Brew break
If you have a regular tea or coffee break, try doing some movements while the kettle boils. Calf raises, twisted side bends and shoulder rolls are a few options – we’ve even got a poster you can hang with some suggestions!
5. The LiveLighter workout builder
Build strength, flexibility and fitness with our free video workout builder. My Workout Builder allows you to customise a workout that suits you. You can select your duration, challenge level, focus area and equipment to use, making it perfect to do anywhere and anytime you can.
6. Daily household chores
You read that right! Daily chores can add up to your daily movement. Vacuuming, sweeping, grocery shopping and even taking the bins out can all count towards your daily movement. And with a little modification, light tasks like washing dishes and folding laundry can add to your movement time; exaggerate your movements, dance or do it on tippy toes!
7. Stepping stones
Get ready to feel like a kid again! With this movement snack we encourage you to look down and identify a patten on the ground (e.g. a specific colour in a brick design or a line in the pavement) and try to walk or ‘step’ in that pattern. This will challenge your coordination, agility and balance.
8. Cozy lounge room stretch
Picture this: you are in your lounge room in your favourite PJs, ready to watch the latest episode. Why not use this time to roll out your yoga mat and stretch? Static stretches are the best for this time of night. Static stretches involve holding the stretch in a comfortable position for anywhere between 10 to 30 seconds.
- Try our 20-minute Yoga flow
- Try our calming bedtime routine
There are so many different ways we can move our bodies – we hope movement snacks work for you! To help you rediscover the joy of movement, LiveLighter have developed a number of different physical activity resources to suit everybody. Check out all our resources and more blog posts in our Being Active hub.
