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‘Exercise snacks’ under a minute can boost heart health. 5 activities to try

These quick workout moves will allow you to use “exercise snacking” to meet your fitness goals during a busy, snowy season.

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As we get further into the new year, schedules fill up and that burst of motivation to tackle our health goals starts to wane. Not to mention that wintry weather often keeps us stuck inside making it even harder to exercise, especially for those that enjoy walking or running.

But you don't have to deprive yourself of the benefits of exercise if you don't have large chunks of time to dedicate to working out. The solution? Exercise snacking.

What is exercise snacking?

Exercise snacking" is doing short bouts of exercise throughout the day, allowing you to make room for exercise in the nooks and crannies of your busy schedule — even if it's just a few minutes at a time.

Some of these suggestions may seem too tiny to make a difference, but science shows this strategy has a ton of health benefits. A recent study suggests that "exercise snacking can be an effective way to boost fitness and another study concluded that even fitness breaks of less than a minute may improve cardiovascular fitness. Here are some activities to do during your short breaks:

Go for a walk

Lacing up your shoes and hitting the pavement is a great way to get your mind off your to-do list while prioritizing the health and fitness goals you’ve been working so hard to reach.

Research suggests that 30 minutes of exercise will help you release endorphins — your body's natural source of feel-good chemicals. But other research shows that even 10 minutes of walking can result in lower anxiety — especially if you follow it up with a quick meditation session. Not only that, but studies also suggest that walking for 15 minutes can cut sugar cravings in half.

Weather not cooperating? Get your steps in indoors! Try one of these indoor walking workouts I put together for you:

Do 10 squats

Squats are a great lower body exercise that engages the quads, hamstrings and glutes. Performing ten of these will get your blood pumping, tone the lower body and help combat sugar cravings.

Walk around the house 10 times

Walking around your house ten times — even if you're in your PJs — will keep you on track to meet your goals. Even if you don't have time to get geared up for a blustery stroll, you can still work up a sweat by walking indoors. You'll get all the benefits of walking without even having to leave the house!

If you want to walk even further with me and Al Roker, check out the Start TODAY 100-Mile Walking Challenge. With more than 160,000 members in our Facebook family, you will never feel alone!

Do 10 wall pushups

Get your blood pumping while building upper-body strength. Here's how: Go up against a wall and place your hands wider than your shoulders. Step back with your feet and perform 10 wall pushups.

Similar to the squat hack, performing this upper-body workout will likely leave you more energized and strengthened in your commitment to your health. And there's a good chance once you're moving, you may feel motivated enough to perform a few more exercises!

Sink into a wall sit during commercial breaks

This time of year, there's nothing better than curling up on the couch for a movie marathon. You don't have to give up watching your favorite shows, but when there's a commercial break, drop down into a wall sit. Don’t have a space on your wall to do a wall sit? Even better! Drop down into an air squat and hold it.

You'll be surprised how many squats you're able to rack up when you're distracted by the TV (you may even feel it in the glutes tomorrow!). Continuously bringing your attention back to your body will help you remember that you want to choose your habits instead of drifting on autopilot. Even a commercial break can become an opportunity to get stronger!