Sometimes it’s hard to fit 30 minutes of exercise into your day. But did you know you can break up daily workouts into shorter segments and get the same health benefits?
Exercising for just 10 minutes at a time, three times a day, counts toward the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week.
The trick is to work hard enough to get your heart rate up. And you have to do the activity for the full 10 minutes. Make it easier by working exercise chunks into your existing routine.
Vary your runs or exercise routine as your body adapts to the stress placed on it, says an expert.
For instance, try getting off the bus or train a stop or two early and briskly walk to your workplace. Then take another 10-minute brisk walk 10 or 15 minutes before you eat lunch. When you get home from work, go for a quick spin around the neighbourhood on your bike before dinner.
This may even help curb your appetite. For a bigger calorie burn, choose 10-minute strenuous “vigorous-intensity” activities like swimming, jogging or playing a game with your kids. These can give you all the benefits of a moderate-intensity activity like walking in half the total time - just 75 minutes per week. So, building exercise into your daily routine isn’t as hard - or time-consuming - as you might think.
- New York Times