Everyone knows that exercise is important, but finding an hour or more to drive to the gym, put on workout gear, sweat it out, and head home can feel daunting. So, how do you find the time to be more active?

The answer lies in redefining “exercise.” Workouts don’t have to be lengthy ordeals that leave you sore and exhausted. They don’t require any special equipment or an expensive fitness club membership. You don’t have to “go hard or go home” or “leave it all on the line.” You don’t even have to break a sweat.

To be more active every day, try micro-workouts.

Women doing triceps dip exercise on her couch.

What Are Micro-workouts?

Micro-workouts are quick movement breaks, lasting only a matter of minutes, that you incorporate throughout the day. You can do them anywhere using any equipment you have on hand (or no equipment at all, just your own body weight). 

On its own, a single micro-workout isn’t going to make a huge difference in your fitness. But when you consistently incorporate these brief “movement snacks” in between daily tasks, their impact really adds up. For those of us who work behind a desk or machine all day, they’re also ideal for breaking up long periods of sitting. 

How Much Exercise Do You Need?

Consider this: We’re all supposed to be getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity weekly, in addition to moderate-to-high-intensity resistance training. Health experts recommend aiming for closer to 300 minutes of movement per week, or around 45 minutes per day. That can be tough to fit in with work, chores, kids’ activities, and everything else you have going on in your life. 

However, you can easily get 15 or 20 minutes of daily activity just by sprinkling in short micro-workouts (we’ll provide examples below). Couple these with a nice after-dinner walk with your pooch or partner, and you’ve hit your activity goal! 

How to Add Micro-workouts Into Your Day

The beauty of micro-workouts is that there are no hard and fast rules. You can do almost any type of activity, anywhere, at any time. 

Generally speaking, a micro-workout lasts from one to five minutes and could include:

  • Bodyweight exercises, such as a quick set of push-ups or pull-ups 
  • A short set of resistance exercises using equipment like kettlebells, resistance bands, or dumbbells
  • Quick heart-pumping cardio; for example, one minute of jumping jacks, burpees, or skipping rope

The sky’s the limit! A fun way to add micro-workouts is with our “Spell Your Name” game. Try to spell out your entire name over the course of a day:

List of micro-workout exercises

3 Tips for Successful Micro-workouts

1. DO make micro-workouts part of your daily routine: Insert micro-workouts throughout your day whenever you feel motivated, and to break up long periods of sitting still. Set a timer to remind you or use “habit stacking” to pair micro-workouts with activities you’re already doing regularly: 

  • Do air squats while your coffee brews. 
  • Grab your dumbbells and do biceps curls while you heat up your lunch. 
  • Do five push-ups every time you use social media. 

2. DON’T overdo it: Micro-workouts aren’t meant to be super intense. You won’t be pumping mad iron or doing all-out sprints in a workout lasting just a couple of minutes. Only do movements you can safely do in this brief time. Try light movements like marching in place or a few sun salutations to warm up your body if you’re doing micro-workouts first thing in the morning or after sitting for a long time.

For most people, micro-workouts won’t be overly stressful, but you know your body best. As with any kind of exercise, it’s important to match your workouts to your fitness level. 

3. DO use micro-workouts alongside other types of exercise: Micro-workouts won’t totally replace longer exercise sessions. It’s still important to get sustained cardiovascular exercise and to occasionally hit the heavier weights. 

When you add micro-workouts to your routine, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much easier it is to hit your daily activity goals with less stress. 

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