Traditionally, the term “microdosing” refers to taking small doses of psychedelics to “manage pain, trauma, depression, or an overall sense of well-being.” Well + good Previously reported. Now, the concept of microdosing (or actually taking something in small amounts) can be applied to many different parts of our lives, from our skin care routines to our fitness routines.
“Similar to the concept of using small doses of medication, fitness microdosing is the practice of integrating short, targeted exercise breaks or ‘microdosing’ throughout the day,” says Performance Coach at Future said Dr. Laurene Powell, CSCS. “The main goal of fitness microdosing is to optimize the efficiency of your workouts and maintain consistency without compromising your fitness goals or schedule.”
According to Powell, fitness microdosing is becoming increasingly popular because it’s an accessible way for busy everyday people to stay active. “Many of us have busy schedules, but claiming she doesn’t have five minutes to travel is unrealistic,” she says. please think about it. Her 20-minute walk on her lunch break, her squats and lunges while watching Netflix, and her 10-minute yoga session mid-afternoon add up.
Dr. Lance Dallek, professor of exercise and sports science at Western Colorado University, agrees that fitness microsing can be more enjoyable than a long workout. “This helps improve exercise compliance over the long term,” he says.
But is fitness microdosing as beneficial to your health as working out in the traditional sense?
Of course, the main benefit of doing small amounts of exercise throughout the day is that it’s manageable for many people. But that’s just the beginning of the perks.
“Adding small amounts of exercise throughout the day, even 10 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, can have important health benefits, including improving cardiovascular fitness and lowering blood pressure,” says Dalek. says the doctor. “The fact that short periods of exercise can have meaningful health benefits is good news for people with chaotic schedules.”
Additionally, Dr. Dallek says there are equal benefits from both intermittent exercise (or short bursts) and continuous exercise.
“As an example, a significant amount of research has shown that one 10-minute exercise session, including two 20-second sprints, can have the same effect as 30 minutes of traditional moderate-intensity exercise. ” he says. .
Another thing to keep in mind is what role fitness microdosing can play in combating sedentary behavior. For example, after your morning workout, you might spend most of the day sitting. You may not feel the need to do more than what you’re already doing because you’ve already checked that item off your to-do list. This means you’re missing out on something equally important: heat production during non-exercise activities. For example, when it comes to things like longevity, it’s just as important as exercise.
Sitting for long periods of time has been shown to increase the risk of: cardiovascular disease1, dementia2, and other health issues, it’s important to find ways to be more active. If fitness microdosing allows you to sit less and move more, that can be a huge win.
How to start fitness microdosing
Starting your fitness microdosing journey is easy. However, there is a catch here. To ensure you reach your daily exercise goals (the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, or a combination of both per week) . , Mr. Powell at least general Think about when you can fit these mini-workouts into your schedule. This way, his day won’t fly by without getting enough exercise.
“I encourage people to identify parts of their schedule where they already have downtime and replace sitting or standing time with some kind of deliberate movement,” she says. says. “You can do this anytime and anywhere throughout the day.”
These short bursts of movement can be anything that gets your heart pumping. There’s no need to overcomplicate it. “Fitness microdosing activities include things like a brisk walk around the block, a stretch break, a short cardio session, or even some housework,” says Powell. She recommends having multiple movement ideas at your disposal. That way, when your time becomes limited, you’ll know exactly how to fill it.
What if you work in an office with limited options? Or maybe you don’t have time to change from work clothes to activewear. In this case, Dr. Dallek recommends finding exercises that you can perform in your regular clothes, without traditional training equipment. For example, bodyweight exercises or exercises using nearby stairs.
No matter what exercise you do throughout the day, Powell suggests logging what you’re doing somewhere, like in a Notes app or a fitness tracker. “This helps you continue to grow and improve,” she says. “For example, he sets a timer for two minutes and does as many push-ups as he can. Today he might get 10 points, but that will be his goal next time. It allows for progress and motivation.”
Fitness microdosing (aka exercise snacking) isn’t for everyone. But when skipping a traditional workout and moving in for short bursts of movement is more fun, enjoyable, and manageable to fit your lifestyle, staying active can become a seamless part of your daily routine. There is a possibility that