Micro workouts are going viral – why they're key to maintaining fitness, no matter your location or availability

One of the biggest hurdles when it comes to reaching fitness goals? Lack of time. Any personal trainer worth their weight will tell you that the key to achieving any objective is consistency, but how do you maintain a training routine when you’re juggling a job, family, social life, and general day-to-day responsibilities? Quick answer: Micro workouts.

Also known as exercise snacks, micro workouts are condensed training sessions that take a fraction of the time of a typical workout to complete, and research exploring their efficacy looks positive. One study published in the Sports Medicine and Health Science journal concluded that, in comparison to traditional forms of exercise, micro workouts offer a "viable, time-efficient, and convenient strategy that leads to improvement in cardiovascular fitness, metabolic capacity, and muscular function in sedentary individuals." In short, they work.

If you’re committed to achieving a fitness goal but don’t have the capacity to sweat through multiple 40-odd minute sessions a week (or, if you simply want to dial back your training for the summer), then keep reading. Here, personal trainer Aimee Long explains why micro workouts might form part of a winning formula for you. Don't miss our guides to the best time to exercise and top exercise motivation tips, while you're at it.

Micro workouts are trending – and yes, they really are as simple as their name suggests

What are micro workouts?

“Micro workouts are short bursts of physical activity that can be easily incorporated into your day,” Long explains. “They can involve various exercises such as bodyweight movements, resistance training, or even high-intensity interval training, otherwise known as HIIT.”

The general idea, Long elaborates, is to integrate these speedy sessions into your day whenever you have a few minutes to spare, “making it a flexible and accessible way to stay active even when you’re at your busiest.”

Currently trending online, micro workouts are popular for their reduced time requirements, compared with the average full-length session, and the fact you can typically do them from anywhere and with very little – if any – equipment.

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How long are micro workouts?

“Micro workouts typically last anywhere from five to 20 minutes,” expands Long.

That said, any session significantly shorter in length than your standard workout duration could technically count as a micro workout, whether three or thirty minutes. It’s totally up to you what constitutes a micro workout, and what kind of session suits your circumstances and goals. That’s the beauty of it, really.

How effective are micro workouts?

There are loads of benefits to making micro workouts a part of your weekly training routine. For starters, they’re time-efficient and accessible. Additionally, as the sessions are much shorter in length, you may find that your body recovers quicker in between workouts and you feel fresher for each session, allowing you to progress faster than if you were completing a couple of full-length workouts a week.

So, how effective are they for building strength and supporting cardiovascular fitness compared with your regular routine, though? “You can achieve similar results with five to six micro workouts a week of short 15 to 20 minutes bursts as three-hour-long sessions,” Long says. “Research has shown that the total volume of exercise matters more than the length of each session. So, if the intensity and focus of micro workouts are high enough, they can lead to improvements in cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, and endurance.”

Something you should be aware of, however, is the importance of warming up your body before completing a micro workout – particularly if you’re going to be doing high-intensity exercise or heavy lifting. Just because the total duration is reduced, doesn’t mean you should skip the pre-workout prep.

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Can you build muscle with micro workouts?

“Building muscle primarily relies on the principle of progressive overload, where muscles are challenged beyond their normal capacity, leading to micro-tears that repair and grow stronger,” Long explains.

Micro workouts, she says, can be effective for muscle building if three factors are taken into account:

1. Intensity

“Incorporating resistance training and ensuring enough load during your short sessions can stimulate muscle growth,” Long says.

2. Frequency

“Consistently targeting muscle groups multiple times a week can lead to similar hypertrophy results as longer sessions,” she explains.

3. Recovery

It’s absolutely essential that you allow adequate recovery time in between sessions for muscles to repair and grow.

So, will you be giving micro workouts a go?

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