Exercise Snacks - Exercise snacking is the practice of accumulating short bursts of physical activity—typically lasting 1 to 5 minutes—throughout your daily routine. I have included Balance, Posture, Strength, Mobility and Power Snacks. I am hoping to put a video together to demonstrate.
Balance Snacks
- Single leg balance (add passing an object)
- Marching in place (progress to step back march)
- Heel/toe stand (turn head-right, left, up, down, close eyes)
- Clock reach (progress to SL arcs)
- Heel toe walking (do by a wall or counter- progress to backward)
- Lateral step overs (progress to knee drive)
- Single leg deadlift to chair
Postural Snacks
- Chin tucks
- Scapular retraction
- Wall angels
- Doorway stretch
- I,W,T with band or on floor/ball
Mobility Snacks
- Head turns (right, left, ear to shoulder, up, down)
- Shoulder rolls
- Overhead extensions and reach
- Torso twists with extensions
- Cat cow
- Hip cars
- Heel toe raises
Strength Snacks
- Sit to stands
- Push up against wall
- Lateral leg raises
- Lunges
- Dumbbell overhead presses
- Dumbbell bent over rows/Banded rows
Research shows that muscular power declines earlier and faster than
muscular strength. After about age 50, we lose power at nearly twice the rate
of strength because:
● Fast-Twitch (Type II) muscle fibers shrink: These fibers are responsible
for quick, reactive movements, and without stimulation, they atrophy
faster than slow-twitch fibers.
● The nervous system slows: Aging reduces the speed at which the brain
sends “move now” signals to the muscles.
● Coordination and reaction time decline: Even if muscles remain strong,
slower nerve-muscle communication makes quick responses harder.
The result? Daily activities that require sudden, forceful movement like
catching yourself from a trip, getting up from the floor, climbing stairs with
momentum all become harder and more dangerous.
Power Snacks
- Heel drops (progress to jumping in place)
- Jump rope (You don’t actually have to use a rope)
- Throwing a ball/slamming a ball or sandbag
- Fast movements