Could a mere five minutes of daily exercise be the key to a longer life? While it may seem like an oversimplification, recent studies suggest that brief, intense activities, often referred to as “exercise snacks,” might offer an easy way to enhance energy and decrease the likelihood of premature death. Activities such as stair climbing, brisk walking, or quick sets of squats fall into this category and are gaining attention for their potential health benefits.
In a comprehensive review published in The Lancet, researchers analyzed data from over 135,000 individuals who used activity trackers. The findings indicate that incorporating just five minutes of vigorous exercise daily could avert 6% of early deaths among those who typically engage in only two minutes of physical activity each day.
Traditionally, it has been recommended that individuals partake in at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, equating to about a 20-minute walk each day, or engage in 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous exercise weekly. However, these guidelines do not mandate that exercise sessions need to be completed in one go, paving the way for the concept of “exercise snacks”. This approach could potentially make regular exercise feel more attainable and might even lead to shifts in formal health recommendations.
Carol Maher, a professor specializing in population and digital health at Adelaide University in Australia, emphasizes, “There’s a common misconception that exercise must be lengthy and structured to be effective. Yet, accumulating short bursts of activity throughout the day can significantly enhance health.”
But nothing in the guidelines says exercise has to be done all at once – and that’s where ‘exercise snacks’ come in. These could make exercise feel more achievable and even eventually reshape official health advice.
Carol Maher, a professor of population and digital health at Adelaide University in Australia, says: ‘One common misunderstanding is that exercise has to be long and structured to count. But small bursts across the day can add up and improve health.’
Examples include ‘climbing a flight of stairs two at a time; walking as briskly as you can for five minutes; or carrying something heavy for a couple of minutes,’ she adds.
‘Some people will get out of breath walking up and down the stairs over and over for five minutes, others will need to run two at a time.’
Examples of small bursts of exercise include climbing a flight of stairs two at a time, walking as briskly as you can for five minutes, or carrying something heavy for a couple of minutes
For older adults, there were also improvements in muscular stamina
The key is that they must be ‘long enough to get your heart rate up and keep it up for a couple of minutes,’ says Professor Maher.
Analysis of dozens of ‘exercise snack’ trials, published earlier this year in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found the biggest improvement was in cardiorespiratory fitness – how well the heart and lungs cope with exertion.
For older adults, there were also improvements in muscular stamina – everyday strength needed to carry shopping or stand up from a chair without help.
This matters because cardiorespiratory fitness is one of the strongest predictors of whether someone will die early.
In a major review led by Professor Maher, published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science in 2025, data from 3.8 million adults showed those with higher heart and lung fitness levels had a lower risk of premature death from any cause.
Jonathan Little, a professor of exercise and metabolism at the University of British Columbia in Canada, says even ‘brief bursts – typically 30 to 60 seconds – three times per day can count as beneficial exercise snacks’
Jonathan Little, a professor of exercise and metabolism at the University of British Columbia in Canada, says even ‘brief bursts – typically 30 to 60 seconds – three times per day can count as beneficial exercise snacks’.
In one study he led, participants climbed three flights of stairs for about 20 seconds, three times a day for six weeks. Their heart and lung fitness improved by 5 to 7 per cent.
‘The improvements were modest but they could still have a significant impact on health,’ he told the Mail. ‘We know that the biggest benefits of exercise come from doing nothing to doing something.’
Exercise snacks tackle another modern health risk: prolonged sitting. Adults in England spend an average of 9.5 hours a day sitting, according to the British Heart Foundation. Even among people who exercise regularly, long periods of sitting are linked to a higher risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
Landmark analysis in The Lancet from 2016 found it takes 60 to 75 minutes of moderate activity a day to offset the risks of sitting for eight hours or more.
‘A brisk five-minute walk every half hour is best for offsetting the harms of sitting all day,’ says Dr Keith Diaz, an associate professor of behavioural medicine at Columbia University Medical Center.
‘But even a one-minute movement break every hour can still counter some of the harms. Our bodies need movement sprinkled throughout the day to regulate our metabolism and mental health.’
The pace with which we move matters, too. A 2025 study in the journal Heart found that people who walked at 3 to 4mph had a 35 per cent lower risk of heart rhythm problems than slow walkers.
Exercise snacks can also help to reactivate leg muscles, improve blood flow and stabilise blood sugar levels after meals.
In 2023, a study led by Dr Diaz found regular walking breaks not only improved blood sugar and blood pressure but also left people less tired and in a better mood.
But Professor Little still warns exercise snacks alone are unlikely to ‘replace or recreate’ all the benefits of regular exercise, in terms of reducing the risk of everything from dementia and depression to liver disease and cancer.
And there is a catch: exercise snacks seem to most help those who already exercise very little. While they improved fitness in inactive adults, they had little effect on blood pressure, blood sugar or body fat when taken alone.
