Are Micro Workouts Effective?

von Lena

Balance is a fine art which some people never quite learn to perfect, regardless of how many years worth of practice they have. Being able to balance your home life, your work life, your social life, your children’s lives, your love life and to consistently implement and maintain some sort of fitness schedule or routine can seem like an almost impossible task. Often, it’s our health and fitness which takes a step back when it comes to juggling priorities, and we tend to swap out heading to the gym for having an hour’s peace to take a bath or sit down with a cuppa. In an attempt to maximise productivity and sneak a workout into a crammed schedule, the ‘micro workout’ has been on the rise, developing quite the trend within the fitness industry.

A micro workout is the art of implementing simple short and sharp exercises into your day to day life – from push-ups every hour between meetings to squatting whilst you wait for the microwave, it can even be the case of squeezing some burpees in whilst your little one takes a nap. But how effective are these micro workouts? Can a micro workout still give you major results?

The first thing to note about micro workouts is that they actually get your body moving – which of course is a great thing. Whether you’re using your lunch break to power walk around or practicing your body weight exercises every time you wait for the kettle to boil – you could be building up some serious exercise over the course of a week. 10 squats every time you’re making a drink could amount to 50 a day, and 250 a week – which of course is great for your body.

Similarly, taking regular breaks to get a mini sweat on can work wonders for your mental health. Being able to break from your work, focus on some micro exercises and bring yourself to a place of calm and clarity will see you returning to your desk with a clearer mind and more focus to complete the task at hand. It’s vital to take breaks from work to increase your productivity and let yourself rest and recuperate, so using those breaks to exercise and make yourself feel great is no bad thing.

However, whilst consistent and steady micro exercising throughout the week can certainly help to benefit your workout plan and gradually increase your fitness levels, it’s important to realise that the micro workout just can’t substitute a longer and more steady exercise plan. Whilst getting those extra burpees in during the day is good for you, it’s never going to get you the same results as a planned and consistant workout 4-5 times a week assisted by a balanced diet.

In summary, incorporating micro workouts into your day can give you a clearer head and help inch you towards those results you crave, but you’re not going to get there unless you use them as an addition to consistent hard work with exercise and a balanced lifestyle to go alongside it.