Fitter by the Minute

Liz Neporent is a diet and fitness expert and co-author of "The Fat Free Truth". She regularly appears on national TV programs and is the president of Wellness 360, a New-York based wellness provider. You can also follow her on Twitter @lizzyfit.

Photo: lululemon athletica, Flickr

Can I get any benefit from doing just a few minutes of exercise or am I just wasting my time?

There is a common misconception that you have to be an exercise fiend to get anything out of a fitness program. Most professional groups, the American Council on Exercise included, recommend doing at least 30 minutes a day of moderate-to-vigorous activity to derive most of the cardio-protective effects of exercise and at least five, one-hour sessions per week if your aim is to lose or maintain weight. All true. But that said, a growing body of research shows you will get some benefit if you aim for as little as 10 minutes of physical activity a day and about the same benefit as a longer workout if you do several mini-workouts throughout the day. Let's refer to this workout approach as "exercise snacking."

I think physical activity can work something like diet: There are times you are able to sit down at the table and enjoy a leisurely meal, and then there are other times when all you can do is grab and go. When you don't have the time or inclination to do a full "meal" of exercise, try exercise snacking to accumulate activity throughout the day in the form of micro-movement sessions that last for 10 minutes or less. Research done at Harvard University shows these bite-sized portions of movement begin to tap into the health benefits of physical activity and chip away at weight issues, especially if your exercise program nibbles total at least 300 calories a day. (For a 150-pound person, that's the equivalent of walking three miles.)

If you think you're so busy you don't have a few minutes here and there to toss in a few motion morsels throughout the day, try keeping an activity journal for two to three days. You'll be surprised at how much time you spend watching TV, sitting around or otherwise idle -- you can donate at least some of that down time to your little snack packs of exertion. Once you focus, you'll find there are dozens of exercise snacking opportunities in your life. Some examples: Rather than sitting at your desk while you talk on the phone, try getting up and pacing as you converse. Instead of sending an e-mail to someone two offices down, walk over and have a chat. Trot up the escalator rather than standing passively. Try some buttocks squeezes every time you're stopped at a red light. Do some sit ups, push ups or squats during commercial breaks. The list goes on.

I am placing an emphasis on activity versus exercise here. Movement is movement, and it's movement that counts. A 10-minute spin around the dance floor burns about 60 calories, the same amount as brisk walking on a treadmill, swimming or in line skating for the same period of time. Whether you're a passionate gardener, bird watcher or serious window shopper, think of hobbies as the "favorite foods" of exercise snacking. Do-it-yourself-ers are really just exercise snackers by another name. A 150-pound person burns 55 calories in 10 minutes sweeping floors, washing windows or painting a wall. More strenuous chores like sawing boards, hauling boxes or digging a hole burn up the same number of calories in half the time and reap cardio-protective and muscle-strength benefits even more quickly.

Think of these bursts of movement as the breakfast, lunch and dinner of activity. For instance, get in the habit of taking a 10-minute brisk walk every morning, afternoon and evening. It may take you a few weeks to find your groove and stick with it, but after a while, it will be like any other daily routine you can't do without.

My 2 cents: Exercise snacking can be a smart approach to fitness for those of you who are time-challenged, easily bored by long sweat sessions or unable to keep up a decent exercise pace for 30-60 minutes. You can achieve your health and weight-loss goals through countless combinations of leisure and routine activities as long as you make a consistent effort to increase your movement. If you can't seem to get your workouts in gear, start with just 10 minutes. When you're ready, you can build from there. In the meantime, doing a little bit of something is certainly better than doing a whole lotta nothing.

Now it's time for your 2 cents: Anyone out there using the exercise snack approach? Anyone want to? The fifth person to sign up to follow me on twitter will receive a copy of the 10 Minute Solution: Tone Trouble Zones starring fitness pro Amy Bento; it comes with its own set of resistance bands. I love this tape because it is the perfect exercise snack solution for someone who wants expert guidance and an effective, quick-fix routine to follow.

Maybe you're wondering whether you should exercise snack on walking or running. Find out which one burns more calories.