Exercising daily is one of the best things you can do for your health.  Being committed to your future by making exercise part of your routine is a great way to extend your health span.  There are many ways to accomplish your health goals.  Intermittent exercise has positive results and is one of the methods that works for many people. 

Recommended Exercise

The American Heart Association recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. Then add two days of muscle strengthening exercises.  Break that down into 5 days of 30 min aerobic activity and then 2 days of weight training.  To some, this can feel overwhelming. That’s where intermittent exercises come in.

Intermittent Exercise

What is intermittent exercise?  It is exercise or mini workouts performed a few times during the day.  Instead of finding 30 minutes or more to exercise all at once, short workout sessions from 5-10 minutes each can be used.  It is a realistic way to move.  Split a 30-minute workout into several small blocks.  As an example, walk 10 minutes after breakfast, lunch and dinner or take a 15-minute walk in the morning and then again in the afternoon. Small bursts of exercise throughout the day can be as effective as a longer session. 

One of the reasons that intermittent exercise is so effective is that is makes working out more doable.  When we perceive that something is easy and can be accomplished, then it is easier to stick with. The mini workouts provide a sense of achievement instead of being overwhelmed with exercising for 30 minutes or more.

Since it can be easier to find smaller amounts of time on your schedule, this method of exercise can be more effective.  Intermittent exercise has positive results and can be as simple as going for three 10-minute walks per day.