Volume 30, Issue 175, September 2026

Exercise snacks as a time-efficient approach to improving health and physical activity

Aleksandra Frączek¹, Angelika Juszczyk^2♦, Gabriela Kaptur³, Anna Mierzwa⁴, Sylwia Pietrajtis², Anna Wrona⁴, Kinga Rosołowska⁵

¹Nikolay Pirogov Specilized Distirict Hospital in Łódź, Poland
²St. Aleksander Hospital in Kielce, Kielce, Poland
³The Father Jerzy Popiełuszko Bielański Hospital, Poland
⁴The Independent Public Team of Healthcare Facilities in Wyszków, Poland
⁵St. Raphael Provincial Specialist Hospital in Czerwona Góra, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Angelika Klaudia Juszczyk, St. Aleksander Hospital in Kielce, Generała Tadeusza Kościuszki 25, 25-316 Kielce, Poland

ABSTRACT

Background: Sedentary behavior and insufficient physical activity are common problems and are associated with an increased risk of obesity and cardiometabolic disease. Exercise snacks, consisting of short bouts of physical activity performed several times during the day, have been proposed as a practical way of increasing daily physical activity. Methods: This narrative review was based on studies identified in the PubMed database and published between 2021 and 2026. Clinical trials, systematic reviews, reviews, and meta-analyses concerning exercise snacks and their effects on human health were considered. Study protocols and studies without open access to full text were excluded. Results: Exercise snacks may provide several health benefits while requiring relatively little time. Available evidence suggests that regular exercise snacks can improve cardiorespiratory fitness, including maximal and peak oxygen uptake, and may positively affect body composition. Reductions in body fat, waist circumference, body mass index, and visceral and epicardial adipose tissue have been reported. Exercise snacks may also improve blood pressure and glucose metabolism. Acute studies suggest that short interruptions of prolonged sitting can reduce postprandial glucose and insulin responses. Some evidence also indicates favorable changes in selected lipid parameters. Conclusions: Exercise snacks appear to be a time-efficient form of physical activity that may help people who have difficulty incorporating longer exercise sessions into their daily routine. However, the available evidence is still developing, and further studies are needed to determine their long-term health effects and optimal frequency and intensity.

Keywords: exercise snacks, physical activity, sedentary behavior, cardiometabolic health

Medical Science, 2026, 30, e193ms3983

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Published: 25 September 2026