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Exercise Snacking: A Promising Approach for Managing Blood Sugar Levels
I have always been fascinated by the role of exercise in promoting long-term health and longevity. This fascination has inspired my work as a Senior Lecturer in Nutritional Sciences and Muscle Physiology within the Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University. Current guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week to support health and wellbeing. However, many people struggle to meet these targets, increasing their risk of developing conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D).
To make meaningful contributions to public health, patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) has become an invaluable approach for researchers like me, especially when addressing complex conditions like obesity and T2D through exercise. By involving individuals who experience these challenges first-hand, research can be better informed by real-life perspectives, ensuring findings are practical and relevant.
Recently, my colleagues at the Carnegie School of Sport—Dr Wilson, Dr Hargreaves, and Prof. McKenna—and I collaborated with the Obesity Institute’s Obesity Voices network. This initiative allowed us to engage directly with individuals affected by obesity and T2D. Through insightful discussions about the barriers and enablers to regular physical activity, exercise snacking emerged as a promising intervention to help increase activity levels.
The Role of Patient Participant Engagement Involvement
To explore how exercise interventions could be made more feasible and impactful for individuals managing obesity or T2D, we sought support from the Obesity Voices network. This initiative connects individuals with lived experience of obesity to provide invaluable insights and feedback, shaping research projects and interventions to be more practical and relevant.
Through structured discussions and surveys, participants shared their daily challenges, motivations, and experiences with physical activity, weight management, and blood sugar control.
Their contributions were invaluable. While many recognised the importance of exercise for managing blood sugar levels, common barriers repeatedly emerged, such as lack of time, low motivation and limited accessibility, to performing long exercise sessions.
These insights underscored the need for more flexible and inclusive approaches to physical activity. One promising solution is exercise snacking, which could help overcome many of these obstacles.
What is Exercise Snacking?
Exercise snacking involves brief bursts of physical activity—often under two minutes—performed frequently throughout the day instead of committing to a single, lengthy workout. Simple activities like climbing stairs, brisk walking, or quick bodyweight exercises can be done at home or work. Research shows this approach can help individuals with obesity or T2D to manage blood sugar levels. For many, it’s a more accessible and less intimidating alternative to traditional exercise routines.
Why Exercise Snacking Works
Insights from PPIE revealed that shorter, flexible exercise periods were more appealing and practical for participants. This method aligns with research showing that frequent, brief activity improves blood sugar control by increasing insulin sensitivity and enhancing blood sugar uptake by muscles.
Participants also emphasised the value of clear, simple exercise examples requiring no special equipment. They suggested using apps to track “exercise snacks” and setting achievable daily targets as motivating ways to meet weekly physical activity guidelines without feeling overwhelmed.
Why This Matters
Muscle plays a crucial role in managing blood sugar, which is vital for controlling and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). While exercise is key to this process, traditional programmes can be challenging for those managing weight or busy schedules. Exercise snacking offers a more accessible, less daunting way to support blood sugar control.
The insights gained from the PPIE engagement underscored that sustainable health interventions need to be built around the realities of people's daily lives. While exercise snacking shows promise, further research is needed to understand its long-term feasibility and health benefits. If proven effective, it could shift the focus from high-commitment regimens to practical, everyday actions.
Looking Ahead
Our collaboration with Obesity Voices emphasised the value of involving those most affected in shaping research. Moving forward, incorporating exercise snacking into broader public health strategies could make exercise more accessible and help more people manage their blood sugar effectively, thus playing a role in the prevention and management of T2D. Building on these insights, we have submitted grant applications to funding bodies to test the effects of exercise snacking on blood sugar control and assess its long-term sustainability.
By continuing to listen and learn from those with lived experiences, we can ensure that the interventions we propose not only have scientific merit but are also meaningful and realistic for the people they are intended to help.
Together, through collaborative research and patient involvement, we can make strides toward better health outcomes.
Dr Deaglan McCullough
Deaglan is a senior lecturer in nutritional sciences and muscle physiology at the Carnegie School of Sport. He leads the level five Sport and Exercise Nutrition course and researches the effects of exercise and diet on metabolism and muscle function.
