I still marvel at Rath’s (2013) book title, as it encapsulates so much about wellness in three words: Eat Sleep Move. The three areas are critical to life. They intertwine, overlap, and affect each other. Eating, sleeping, and moving influence how well we carry out life responsibilities, how stress affects us, and how satisfied we are with our lives.
What’s more is that much of the three areas are under our control. Rath (2013) cited research finding that 90% of people could see the age of 90 with some simple lifestyle choices.
Benefits of the third part of the title—moving—are clear. Aerobic exercise has been found to increase the volume of the hippocampus, aid in brain neuroplasticity, and release mood-enhancing neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine. It can also decrease inflammation and heighten metabolic indicators (Viswanathan, 2024).
Yet, in the sedentary lifestyle often found in the U.S., the lack of movement can infiltrate our lives. From watching television to screen-staring to work commutes in cars, our days are often spent in a chair. One study found that Americans sit for nine and a half hours per day with 82% of leisure time spent in a chair (Matthews et al., 2021). Moreover, extended sitting is linked with several harmful health effects, including cholesterol levels, higher blood sugar, and heightened blood pressure (Laskowski, 2022).
According to Marily Oppezzo, head of Stanford Lifestyle Medicine Healthful Nutrition, one innovative remedy is “exercise snacks,” defined as short movement spurts ranging from as little as 30 seconds to five minutes. One of the keys to such “snacks,” according to Dr. Oppezzo, is raising one’s heart rate where it becomes challenging to speak in complete sentences (Nourkhalaj, 2024).
She has seen snack benefits in her work. “With my clients, I’ve observed that becoming breathless with three or four exercise snacks throughout the day can sometimes be more stress-reducing than doing one longer workout and sitting the rest of the day,” she said (Nourkhalaj, 2024).
Better yet, these snacks don’t require a gym membership or specific shoes, and, given the small portion, only minimal time is needed (Reynolds, 2023).
A workday is filled with snack opportunities. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator is one simple idea. Thirty seconds of jumping jacks while lunch is being heated in the microwave can also get the heart working. Jogging in place is yet another possibility (Nourkhalaj, 2024).
Dr. Oppezzo also pointed to the idea of an “exercise date,” a term she attributed to Anthony Carrano, the Physical Education Instructional Lead for District 20 in the NYC Public Schools and a past president of the New York City Zone within the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
She suggested trying a few different kinds of snack breaks, giving each at least two “dates.” “Maybe it’s a Zumba song,” she offered to me in an email. “Maybe it’s a wall sit while you’re on hold for a call. Maybe it’s just sprinting to your car as if you’re late for an appointment even when you’re not. Try a bunch at least twice.”
For those seeking mini-innovation in their daily routines, the chips and cookies can be substituted by a visit to the nearby stairway. It may be a snack that your body finds moving.