Even if you’re short on free time, Dr. Rhonda Patrick has a fitness hack that could reduce all-cause mortality by an astounding 40 percent. In a recent YouTube video, Dr. Patrick discussed two-minute “exercise snacks” that can be done anywhere to improve metabolic health and glucose control.
With appearances on the Joe Rogan Experience and other high-profile podcasts, Dr. Patrick has become a trusted voice in the fitness community. From exercise science to nutrition, he breaks down the information in a simple yet thought-provoking way. This time, he took a closer look at how short-duration exercise can provide a host of benefits, including improved longevity.
“I want to switch gears for a minute and talk about exercise snacks. So we’re going to talk about improving metabolic health but also longevity and exercise snacks.
It’s a broader term, but it can really refer to a deliberate type of exercise that you do for one minute, two minutes, three minutes, from burpees to squats. You can do high knees, you can do a variety of different things to get your heart rate up really high in a short amount of time.”
According to Dr. Patrick. these two-minute “exercise snacks” should yield at least 75 percent of your maximum heart rate. He adds that studies have supported a notable metabolic benefit from this type of activity.
“We’re talking about at least 75 percent maximum heart rate,” adds Dr. Patrick. “There are studies that show there’s a real metabolic benefit to even doing a minute or two of this type of exercise for a snack. That again comes down to lactate. You’re forcing your muscles to work really hard. The lactate goes into circulation, the muscle takes it back up and it makes the glucose transporters come to the muscle and open the doors for glucose to come in.”
Additionally, Patrick indicated that snacking with exercise can improve blood glucose levels, adding that snacking 30 minutes to an hour after a meal can have substantial health benefits.
“That really improves blood glucose levels. There’s been a lot of studies on that, especially with people who have type 2 diabetes, having exercise sandwiches at mealtimes, so 30 minutes to an hour before or after a meal can dramatically reduce the postprandial glucose response.
In addition to the glucose control benefits, exercise snacks have also been linked to increased longevity. Whether you’re climbing a flight of stairs or breaking up sedentary time with jumping jacks, these all count as exercise snacks.
“Exercise snacking has also been associated with improved longevity. So there’s another type of exercise snacking that’s a little bit more about taking advantage of everyday situations. It’s called Intermittent Activity Style of vigorous living. This type of exercise is like working on the fourth floor of an office building, so instead of taking the stairs every day, which is better than taking the elevator, do a sprint,” he shares Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
Those who performed two minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise three times a day saw a 40 percent reduction in all-cause mortality.
“People who did one to two minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise three times a day had about a 40 percent reduction in all-cause mortality,” explains Dr. Patrick.
“And a 50 percent reduction in mortality related to cardiovascular disease, which is the number one killer in most developed nations. That’s again, one to two minutes three times a day. You’re having these snacks of exercise, that adds up.
Dr. Patrick believes that exercise snacks are an effective tool to mitigate the downsides of a sedentary lifestyle.
“Being sedentary is an independent risk factor for cancer. So there’s reason to break up your sedentary time with exercise snacks. Again, that would be a deliberate thing you can do.”
Bodybuilding great and health expert Arnold Schwarzenegger has also been outspoken about the benefits of rigorous exercise. He believes that resistance training and aerobic exercise are crucial to living a longer and healthier life.
The current recommendation is to get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week. So any movement is better than no movement, but the more you can push the intensity a few times a week, the more your body will thank you in the long run.
Slowing down the aging process has also remained a priority for physician and health expert Dr. Peter Attia. She recently shared her longevity routine, including supplements and an intense workout regimen.
Four hours of zone two per week with a higher intensity Vo2 max type of training per week and then four strength training sessions per week. So this is the fundamental pillar of everything I do.
In terms of optimizing health and longevity, Dr. Patrick believes that two-minute snack workouts offer their users a wealth of benefits, especially for aging and mitigating the downsides of a sedentary lifestyle.
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Watch the full video from the YouTube channel FoundMyFitness Clips below:
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