Have you ever wondered if small bouts of physical activity would have any impact on your physical and mental well-being? Focusing on your full-length training can sometimes be challenging, especially for people with very tight schedules or who lead a sedentary lifestyle. Thus, scientists began to investigate if physical exercise could be split into several short sessions per day. This type of physical activity is usually referred to as exercise snacks.
Exercise snacks are the short bouts of moderate or vigorous physical activity that occur repeatedly during the day. They can be stair climbing, fast walking, cycling, bodyweight exercises, or any other activity that increases the heartbeat of the trainee. Scientists believe that this type of physical activity can be seen as one of the easiest ways to become physically active without having a typical workout session (Jones et al., 2024; Rodríguez et al., 2026).
This kind of physical activity is quite popular nowadays, as there are a lot of people who do not have enough time to exercise and become physically fit. However, it should be mentioned that studies of the effects of exercise snacks on the mental health of a person
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What Are Exercise Snacks Exactly?
Exercise snacks are short episodes of physical activity spread out through the day. While an ordinary workout is done once during a specific time frame, exercise snacks make it possible to accumulate physical activity through many short periods of time.
There seems to be a bit of inconsistency in defining what exactly exercise snacks are among researchers. As defined by the systematic review and meta-analysis, exercise snacks refer to structured exercise activities that take no longer than five minutes, and are done at least twice a day and at least three days a week for at least two weeks (Rodríguez et al., 2026). Different definitions have been used by other studies, though (Jones et al., 2024).
The examples include such activities as taking the stairs for several floors, doing squats or lunges, walking fast, cycling for several minutes, or exercising for a few minutes using only your own body weight. The idea is not necessarily to substitute longer exercise periods but to give yet another option to do physical activity during times when you would be sitting.
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Exercise Snacks and Mood
Exercises do not necessarily need to occur in one long and continuous session all at once. This type of exercise may be called exercise snacks, when short bouts of movement are spread across a day. According to recent scientific evidence, exercise snacks are effective in improving cardiorespiratory fitness in physically inactive people, and there are emerging data on possible improvements in other aspects, both physical and psychological (Rodríguez et al., 2026).
There is also preliminary evidence that exercise snacks may help in managing mood and cognitive functions, along with relieving stress. However, research in this area is quite scarce, and findings obtained for particular populations cannot be applied to everyone (Xu et al., 2025).
This is why people should consider exercise snacks as an additional component of regular physical exercise. They should not replace existing exercise guidelines or serve as a treatment for mental disorders. With more research in the future, scientists may learn more about how often people should do exercise snacks. They may also identify the most beneficial intensity. Further research could show whether these mental health benefits can last over time.
There are some positive results from more recent data. Xu et al. (2025) studied teenagers with a history of childhood trauma. The study found that a six-week exercise-snack intervention improved cognitive function and reduced anxiety, depression, and perceived stress. However, this study focused on a specific group of people, so we should not apply its findings to everyone.
There is also ongoing research on the relationship between sedentary university students’ mental health and exercise snacks. The evidence base is still evolving, as evidenced by a 2026 randomised controlled trial protocol that specifically identified psychological outcomes as an area requiring additional investigation (Bao et al., 2026).
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Stress and Emotional Regulation
Exercise may influence stress and emotional regulation through several physiological and psychological pathways. Physical activity can affect systems involved in stress responses, mood regulation, and brain function. However, the extent to which these mechanisms specifically explain the effects of exercise snacks remains an active area of research.
For example, Xu et al. (2025) studied adolescents who had experienced childhood trauma. After six weeks of exercise snacks, the adolescents showed lower levels of anxiety, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms than the control group. Moreover, researchers recorded changes in brain functioning in areas responsible for cognitive and emotional processes.
It is important to bear in mind that the study under consideration had certain limitations. The participants were adolescents who experienced childhood trauma, and the period of the intervention was six weeks. Thus, researchers need to conduct more studies to confirm whether the same effects occur across different age groups and populations (Xu et al., 2025).
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Why Short Intervals Could Be Easier to Stick With
Exercise snacks may offer some benefits in terms of convenience. One does not have to spend an hour exercising without any interruptions. It is possible to squeeze short bursts of physical activity into everyday life, around one’s job, studies, domestic duties, commuting, and other daily routines. Some recent research findings support this. A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 randomised controlled trials involving 414 participants found high adherence and compliance with exercise-snack interventions. Rodríguez et al. (2026) found that exercise snacks increased cardiorespiratory fitness in physically inactive adults.
The brevity of the exercise could help deal with the belief that exercise is something time-consuming. Still, there are plenty of factors influencing adherence to exercise routines, including personal preferences, types and intensity of activity, health condition, and the environment. Thus, people could use exercise snacks as one of several strategies to stay active.
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What Do the Studies Tell Us?
Studies about exercise snacks are increasing, and it is crucial to differentiate between proven results and new evidence. A 2024 scoping review identified a growing body of research on exercise snacks and other types of intermittent physical activity. The research focused on fitness, metabolism, sedentary behaviour, and feasibility (Jones et al., 2024).
Recent research provides stronger support for some physical measures. For example, exercise snacks substantially improved cardiorespiratory fitness in physically inactive adults. This finding comes from a 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 randomised controlled trials. According to the same study, the effect on the muscular endurance of older adults was smaller. However, exercise snacks have not significantly influenced other measures, such as body fat, blood pressure, blood lipids, and lower-limb muscle strength. The quality of evidence in the first case was moderate. However, the quality of evidence in the latter cases was very low (Rodríguez et al., 2026).
The evidence specifically related to mental health is less available. Research on adolescents who experienced childhood trauma showed some benefits after six weeks of exercise. The benefits included improvements in anxiety, depression, stress, and cognitive functions (Xu et al., 2025). Nevertheless, since the subjects were from a particular group, one cannot generalise these results to everyone.
In addition, a systematic review is currently ongoing in 2026. It evaluates the effects of exercise snacks on various aspects of health (Chen et al., 2026). For now, exercise snacks may be a useful way to increase physical activity. However, their psychological effects need further research.
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Conclusion
Exercise does not necessarily need to occur in one long and continuous session all at once. People may call this type of exercise “exercise snacks” when they spread short bouts of movement throughout the day. According to recent scientific evidence, exercise snacks can improve cardiorespiratory fitness in physically inactive people. Emerging research also suggests possible benefits for other physical and psychological aspects (Rodríguez et al., 2026). There is also preliminary evidence that exercise snacks may help in managing mood and cognitive functions, along with relieving stress.
However, researchers have conducted limited research in this area. Findings from specific populations may not apply to everyone (Xu et al., 2025). This is why people should consider exercise snacks as an additional component of regular physical exercise. They should not replace existing exercise guidelines. They should also not serve as a treatment for mental disorders. With more research in the future, scientists may learn more about how often people should do exercise snacks. They may also identify the most beneficial intensity. Further research could show whether these mental health benefits can last over time.
References +
- Bao, Z., Li, Z., Han, T., Mi, L., Qian, G., Li, B., Ossowski, Z., Mao, S., Niu, Y., Lei, T., Li, J., & Bai, J. (2026). Effects of exercise snacks on physical and mental health among sedentary students: A randomised controlled trial study protocol. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 17. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1863839
- Chen, Y., Yang, B., Yang, Z., Zhang, W., Hu, J., Liu, X., Li, F., & Yin, L. (2026). A systematic review of exercise snack interventions on multidimensional health benefits. Science & Sports. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scispo.2026.06.003
- Jones, M. D., Clifford, B. K., Stamatakis, E., & Gibbs, M. T. (2024). Exercise snacks and other forms of intermittent physical activity for improving health in adults and older adults: A scoping review of epidemiological, experimental and qualitative studies. Sports Medicine, 54(4), 813–835. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01983-1
- Rodríguez, M. Á., Quintana-Cepedal, M., Cheval, B., Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C., Crespo, I., & Olmedillas, H. (2026). Effect of exercise snacks on fitness and cardiometabolic health in physically inactive individuals: Systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 60(2), 133–141. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2025-110027
- Xu, B., Wang, M., Liu, G., & Sun, G. (2025). Exercise snacks improve cognitive function and alleviate anxiety, depression, and stress in adolescents with childhood trauma. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 29, 100745. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2025.100745
