Exercise snacks are a fitness practice of brief hard-effort bursts spread across the day; for those already training, an add-on for sitting-heavy days. Trials show fitness gains in inactive adults, uncertain past middle age, and chair-rise gains in older adults. Bouts near meals blunt after-meal blood sugar. Population studies link them to longer life, causation unproven. Main risk: hard effort briefly raises heart-event chance, mostly in inactive people. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Resting blood pressure | Below 120/80 mmHg | Safety check |
| Fasting plasma glucose | 70–99 mg/dL | Expected to change, mainly with elevated baseline |
| Post-meal glucose by continuous glucose monitor | No established target; track 2-hour post-meal peak and mean against own baseline | Expected to change; safety check for insulin users |
| VO2max (laboratory or wearable estimate) | No established target; track change from own baseline | Expected to change |
| 30-second sit-to-stand repetitions | No established target; track change from own baseline | Expected to change |
Cadence: Baseline before starting; blood pressure, fitness and sit-to-stand at 6 weeks and 12 weeks, then every 6–12 months; fasting glucose and glucose monitoring at 12 weeks, then annually; for insulin users, glucose checks around bouts throughout