Incidental Exercise And Longevity

by: Donna Wright

An exciting new study says you can boost longevity with just 60 seconds of exercise a day but how could that be possible? 

It’s called “Incidental Exercise” and it’s literally stopping fitness enthusiasts in their tracks. 

What is Incidental Exercise? 

Don’t worry, incidental exercise does not entail running a marathon. In fact, if you climbed stairs, parked your vehicle and walked a distance to the entrance of a store, or vacuumed the house today, you’ve already performed incidental exercise.  

Incidental exercise is a type of unplanned physical activity involving small, natural movements performed while engaging in common activities throughout your day. Don’t underestimate these little, spontaneous bursts of activity. They may not seem beneficial, but when added up over time, they can help boost your overall fitness, burn a few extra calories, promote good health, and may improve your longevity. 

What is the Difference Between Incidental and Intentional Exercise? 

The exercise you perform can be classified as incidental or intentional. While both are ways to incorporate activity into your life, incidental exercise is not planned and intentional exercise is planned.  

:: Intentional Exercise: These workout sessions happen when you “intentionally” plan to exercise with specific goals in mind including weight loss, building muscle, or enhancing endurance. A plan might include a visit to a fitness center, a structured workout class like spin cycling, yoga, tai chi, or walking on a treadmill,  

:: Incidental Exercise: This is unplanned, physical activity performed while you’re simply going about your day. Examples are housework, dog walking, or stair climbing. It occurs naturally throughout the day. 

When it comes to incidental and intention exercise, it’s good to have a balance of both in your life. Each helps to maintain an active lifestyle and contribute to overall health benefits and longevity. 

Benefits of Incidental Exercise and How One Minute of Movement Can Improve Longevity 

Physical activity is a powerful tool for enhancing well-being. Regular exercise is essential for good health, helping to lower your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and other adverse conditions like stroke and cancer. Bursts of movement through incidental exercise is a great way to help improve circulation, balance blood sugar, promote immune system, enhance energy levels, burn calories, tone muscles, and strengthen bones and joints, along with maintaining a healthy weight. Your mental health can benefit as well, as incidental exercise stimulates endorphins and serotonin hormones that can lift your mood, help reduce stress and increase overall productivity. 

How does incidental exercise affect the body? Most forms of incidental exercise are cardio so when you perform them, your heart rate will increase. An elevated heart rate will strengthen your heart, so it pumps blood more effortlessly. It's also an effective way to burn calories just through the everyday, functional movements. Accrued, gradual movement throughout the day can raise your heart rate and increase circulation. And that’s crucial for lowering chronic health condition risks. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suggests approximately 20+ minutes per day of moderate-intensity exercise to promote heart health, (adding up to at least 150 minutes per week). Incidental exercise can help you meet the CDC's exercise guidelines. Do the math: If you perform 20, one-minute incidental exercises throughout your day, you can improve your health, especially your heart functions, and we all know that a healthy heart can certainly contribute to boosting longevity. 

So, even if you don’t regularly visit the gym for an intense workout, you can find ways to add 60 seconds of incidental exercise continually throughout your day without disrupting your schedule. That alone could help boost your health and increase your lifespan. 

Simple Ways to Add Incidental Exercise into Your Daily Routine   

Now it’s time to examine how you’ve been performing incidental exercise throughout your day and find new opportunities to do so. Each small activity you do can provide many benefits for your well-being. Remember, these are just one-minute bursts of movement to help you achieve your health, fitness, and weight loss goals. 

Here are some simple examples of incidental exercise: 

:: Using a standing desk at work 

:: Walk or bike instead of driving when you can 

:: Stand up while chatting on the phone 

:: Take the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator 

:: Park your car a bit farther from your destination 

:: Dance around the house to your favorite songs 

:: Disembark the bus or train a few stops earlier and walk 

:: Stand up and stretch during TV commercial breaks 

:: Play with the dogs in the backyard 

:: Bring your children to the park or playground 

:: Perform household chores like vacuuming, mopping, or dusting 

:: Wash your car 

:: Rake leaves, mow the lawn, or pull weeds in the garden 

:: Shovel some snow 

The key is to find subtle ways to add natural movement to your day. Even the littlest of changes can help you stay active. 

Who Can Benefit From Incidental Exercise? 

Incidental exercise is ideal for everyone. All age groups can benefit from extra one minute bursts of movement throughout the day – from video game playing teens to sedentary seniors.  

Consider the benefits of incidental exercise for these lifestyles: 

:: Students that sit at a desk for the majority of the school day 

:: Busy professionals who sit in their office chair for an entire shift 

:: Parents juggling children and household duties with no time for the gym 

:: Those healing from injuries where intense workouts are not feasible 

:: Older adults looking for low-impact activities to improve circulation 

:: Anyone that hates traditional intentional exercise but needs movement 

:: Pregnant women that need to take it slower than usual 

Even the Easiest Movement and Activities Can Yield Impressive Results 

If you’re wondering whether incidental exercise can replace the gym, experts would say that combining the two types of physical activity is a better path towards improved health. It’s just important that you understand how beneficial short bursts of incidental exercise can be when you are unable to perform an intense workout. The key is to stay active throughout the day. 

If you’ve walked up a flight of stairs recently, you know it’s an authentic cardio-boosting exercise and a great way to strengthen your leg muscles. Or have you ever had to chase your dog at the park? When you finally catch the dog, you feel like you just ran a marathon. When you mop the floor or vacuum the carpeting, you will no doubt feel the burn in your back muscles. Scrubbing tubs, toilets, and countertops can help you burn calories and tone your arms. Consider the benefits to your back and arms when you carry groceries into the house. 

Incidental Exercise: Sign Me Up 

When you think about it, adding incidental exercise throughout the day is super easy. It’s as easy as making it a habit to walk around during phone calls, taking stairs instead of elevators, standing up and stretching once an hour while sitting at a desk, and making the decision to park the car farther away from a destination. It’s such a minor adjustment, but packs a powerful punch. These every day, functional movements will help contribute to overall fitness without requiring an intentional workout. 

Just a bit more awareness of incidental exercise’s importance can drastically change the numbers recorded on your Fitbit and help your achieve your health and longevity goals.