The Benefits Of Exercise Snacks

When I hear the word ‘snack’ – my mind goes to slices of apple and almond butter or those fabulous Nairns coconut oat biscuits, but no, I’m talking about exercise snacks here.  Convenient bitesize chunks of exercise, which we can easily fit into our day and which research has shown to be as beneficial than longer bouts of exercise and in some areas even more beneficial.  

The HSE and NHS recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (e.g. brisk walking, cycling or any activity where you’re breathing a little harder, upping the heart rate) for adults five days a week.  It doesn’t sound like much however life can get in the way and sometimes 30 minutes can get swallowed up by our day.

So what are the benefits…?

1.     Convenience
One of the top reasons people give for not exercising is time.  But finding 15, 10 or even 5 minutes a few times a day make exercise a lot more accessible.  It might mean getting up 15 minutes earlier to do a quick online class, it might be just doing 3 x sets of squats while you’re in your kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil, if you’re going to be on a call for walk can you put your earplugs in and do it while you’re walking?  Perhaps it’s just going up and down the stairs a few times.  Another convenient thing here is that we don’t need to get changed into our fitness gear or use equipment.  We just need to move.

2.     Boost Metabolism (several times a day!)
Short chunks of exercise during the day may actually help you burn more calories – because you can maintain a higher intensity for a shorter period, but also you’re powering up your ‘engine’ more than once a day benefitting from that afterburn effect of exercise.  

There is evidence from a small number of studies that short bouts of exercise throughout the day can have a more favourable effect on fat loss and LDL cholesterol than longer bouts.

3.     A great way to start to exercise or return to exercise
If you have never exercised before, and it’s never too late to start, short bursts of exercise a few times a day is a great way of easing yourself in gradually.  The same applies if you’re returning to fitness after an injury or illness, start with small chunks and build yourself up, allowing your body to adapt and fitness to rebuild. Be mindful that you should seek clearance from a health professional if you’re starting out or if you are returning after serious health issues.

4.     Improve Your Energy & Productivity
Apparently Dan Brown, author of the ‘Da Vinci Code’ does one minute of push-ups for every hour that he writes. He finds it helps boost his energy and productivity and we all know that sitting at our desk for hours on end can have a detrimental effect. Setting a timer to get up and move every 45 - 60 minutes can be a useful way to help you get snacking.

5.     Enjoy the exercise mood boost several times a day!
Physical exercise works as a trigger for happy hormones, helping to improve our mood and benefitting not just our physical health but our mental health too. 

Snacking just doesn’t get any better!

If you’d like to try out some exercise snacks I’m doing a 15 – 20 minute exercise challenge Monday to Thursday from 7.30 on Insta live.  Join in or do the recording. 

5 Ways To Support Healthy Bones With Diet

From our mid-thirties onwards we are at risk of bone density loss. Women, because of menopause and the depletion of bone protecting oestrogen are at greater risk.  Diet and exercise play an important role in supporting our bone health.  We looked at exercise last week, let’s take a look at how our diet can help us.

1. Calcium is usually the first nutrient that springs to mind when we mention healthy bones, so let’s start there.   We usually associate calcium with dairy.  Whole milk probiotic yogurt is one of the best dairy calcium sources and beneficial for our gut health, with regards to cheese – the harder the cheese, the better the calcium content. Non-dairy sources of calcium include brown rice, kale (also a great source of magnesium), bok choy, chard, cabbage, broccoli, white beans, chickpeas, almonds, sesame seeds, anchovies, sardines, figs.  Phew.

2. Vitamin D – we need this to absorb calcium.  Vitamin D comes from sunshine, oily fish (e.g. salmon, mackerel, trout herrings), eggs, red meat and fortified foods and drinks.  In countries where we don’t get enough sunshine e.g Ireland, it is widely recommended to supplement with Vitamin D from September to May.  (Check with medical/nutrition professional about dosage.)

3. Protein! Usually associated with muscle growth and maintenance, this macronutient is a major structural component of all cells including bone cells, and gives bones its strength and flexibility.  You will find protein in meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh, soya/edemame beans, spirulina and quinoa.

4. More micronutrients for bone health include;
   Vitamin K – leafy greens, liver, some fermented cheeses and soya bean products.
   Magnesium – green veggies, nuts, seeds, unrefined grains (e.g. quinoa)`
   Zinc – lean red meat, poultry, whole grain cereals and zinc.

5. Lastly, caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks and sodium can all inhibit the absorption of calcium and are therefore in excess, they are not good for our bone health.

 Stay healthy peeps!