Overview

• In BMJ Sports Medicine, a pooled analysis of randomized trials involving roughly 400 inactive adults found that short, structured bouts under five minutes improved fitness outcomes.
• 'Exercise snacks' were defined as deliberate activities performed at least twice daily on three or more days per week for 4 to 12 weeks, with examples including stair climbing, lower-body strength work and tai chi.
• Adults younger than 65 showed significant gains in cardiorespiratory fitness, while participants 65 and older improved muscular endurance.
• The trials did not demonstrate clear short-term effects on body composition, blood pressure or blood lipids, reflecting limited power and brief follow-up.
• Adherence was high in the included studies (about 91% in adults and 83% in older adults), and researchers called for larger, longer trials to assess sustained health and cardiometabolic impacts.