ArcaMax

Americans love snacking! According to a study in PLOS Global Public Health, the average U.S. adult downs 400 to 500 calories of nutritionally empty quick bites two to three times a day.

Let's turn those snack attacks into good-for-you moments -- with exercise snacking. That is: short "bites" of activity, like squeezing a grip strengthener, doing inspiratory resistance training, lifting light hand weights for 5 minutes or climbing a few flights of stairs. And if you substitute those moments of movement for eating ultra-processed carbs and drinking sugary beverages between meals -- well, that's life-changing.

A study in BMJ Sports Medicine found that for folks who are having a hard time getting into the habit of daily exercise, snacking can grease their wheels. And twice daily short bouts of exertion have measurable health benefits. For younger folks, they improve cardiovascular fitness and for those 65 and older, they improve muscular endurance.

You're never too young or too old to benefit from shaking off your sedentary behavior in favor of a more active lifestyle. As a teen and young adult, you can fuel healthy aging -- or start down the road to an unhealthy older age. And in your middle years (you hope they're the middle!), it is vital to preserve muscle strength and protect your brain from damage associated with excess weight, diabetes, chronic inflammation and cardiovascular problems.

For help becoming and staying your healthiest self, snack on the support and advice available in the free newsletter and through the LLM AI longevity coaching program at 4YOUngevity.com.

Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.4YOUngevity.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at questions@4YOUngevity.com.

(c)2023 Michael Roizen, M.D.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

(c) 2025 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.