'Exercise Confetti' Is The Best Way To Fit Mini-Workouts Into Your Busy Life
To be honest, there's simply not enough time in one day to get everything done. Whether you work from home or not, too many things need to get done, and some tasks tend to get sacrificed. One task that's often forgotten is working out. While it's a known fact that exercising gives you physical and mental benefits, it's often left aside to prioritize other things. For those with busy lives, attending workout classes isn't a feasible option. If you're working remotely, exercising from home might not be possible due to children, chores, or Zoom calls. Regardless of what's holding you back from getting in a long workout, it should still be possible to get those mental and physical perks as well.
Although many of us are going in and out of tasks, odds are there are at least five minutes in your day that you have free. In these five minutes, you can still get your mind and body where you want them to be thanks to "exercise confetti." This new fitness trend is about making the most out of the smallest time possible.
Even though it seems wild to imagine that five minutes can change much, it's all you need to still work out. Those five minutes between meetings could be just enough time to help get your body in shape and to receive all of the mental benefits that come with working out.
What does exercise confetti mean?
As Joyce Shulman, trainer and founder of Jetti Fitness, tells Bustle, "All physical activity is good, and generally more is better. Every minute and every mile matters and there are tremendous benefits to adding incremental movement to your day." With five minutes, you can easily indulge yourself in push-ups, jumping jacks, or dancing to get your heart rate up and your body moving. These small bursts of movement are what Shulam refers to as "exercise confetti." Not all exercise needs to last hours to be efficient. Even going up and down the stairs for a small time can make a big difference.
For many years it's been recommended that one should participate in around 20 to 30 minutes of physical activity a day. These short bursts of exercise confetti can be broken up into various segments of the day to achieve your daily goal. With short segments, it's much easier to imagine pushing yourself further than you would with a longer workout.
Since five-minute workouts only call for a short period, it's easier to push yourself for these five minutes, rather than for 30 minutes or more. This increased motivation and challenge will ultimately help to get you closer to your fitness goal. The purpose of exercise confetti is to prove that quality does matter over quantity even in the fitness world.
Does exercise confetti work?
Mini workouts can be as useful as any hourlong workout in the gym. Spending a long time at the gym or workout out at home does not guarantee that you will reach your fitness goal quicker.
To make a difference in your workouts, you need to prioritize the intensity over the length of time. Five-minute short bursts done at high intensity will do more for your body than an hour at the gym with no intensity. Jessie X. Fan, a professor of family and consumer studies at the University of Utah, explains to Eat This, Not That, "What we learned is that for preventing weight gain, the intensity of the activity matters more than duration. ... Knowing that even short bouts of 'brisk' activity can add up to a positive effect is an encouraging message for promoting better health." This updated recommendation is key for those looking to still improve their health in a short time.
Just as with longer workouts, the effectiveness of your exercise confetti plan will depend on how intense you go. While it's always recommended to do more than five minutes if possible, it's a great starting point for those looking to get back into working out. Even if five minutes is all you have, it's well worth your time to indulge in a quick workout. Not only will you have more energy to continue your day, but you will slowly be picking up a healthy habit that can do great things for your health.