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Chances are you snacked your way through December, indulging in the sweet and savory tastes of the season. During a time when the weather outside is frightful, the scale may have ticked up a bit and your fitness level might have sagged a bit if you have been less active during the darkest days. It’s a cultural norm to eat, gather, and rest during this season. And even for those not inclined toward festivities, the short days don’t leave much time or space for activity.

40% of people have given up their resolutions by February.

You may be preparing to make a fresh start on January 1 as the 2026 edition of New Year’s resolutions comes into play. But did you know that the majority of those resolutions will be left behind by most of us mere weeks into the new year? 40% of people have given up their resolutions by February, and another 50% are out by mid-March. Only about 9-10% of us get anywhere near our ambitious goals over the long haul.

What if there were a less ambitious approach to healthy resolutions, one that you might be able to seamlessly weave into your day without setting aside big chunks of time, changing your clothes, or even working up a sweat? It turns out that you can snack your way to improved cardio-respiratory fitness. 

Two activities that can lead to improved cardio-respiratory fitness are gaining traction through growing bodies of research. Both movement and breathing “snacks” are gaining momentum in the pursuit of overall good health, and research is showing that these approaches to strengthening your heart and lungs can be as effective as many of the more conventionally encouraged workout recommendations.  

Snacking is also helpful for those whose lack of access to or lack of comfort with conventional fitness methods and equipment can be a barrier.

When your heart and lungs are more efficient, more oxygen is delivered to your cells, lessening the risks for heart disease, stroke, metabolic issues, and even some cancers. Your stamina improves, you have more energy, and there are even cognitive benefits through enhanced blood flow to the brain.

Movement

30-60 second movement snacks, performed 3-8 times per day, can provide the same benefits as 150 minutes of cardio-based exercise each week.

Movement snacking can be done in many different ways. Choosing what will work best for you helps circumvent resistance to a daunting routine that may not get you to Groundhog Day. Tailoring activities to suit yourself makes it much more likely you’ll stick to it and have measurable results sooner. 

A report published in January 2025 by the journal Sports Medicine and Health Science states that movement snacks as brief as 30-60 seconds, performed 3-8 times per day, can provide the same benefits as the standard recommendation of 150 minutes of cardio-based exercise each week. Furthermore, you can boost your muscle and bone strength by snacking on resistance drills utilizing just your body weight. Other studies encourage longer snacks of up to 5 minutes, and both methods lead to similar benefits.

The uncomplicated way of measuring the intensity of your snacks is called the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). RPE is a kind of self-evaluation done as you perform your snack. The snack should bring you to the subjective level of “hard” to “very hard”. If you are a very sedentary person, this measurement will look different than if you are a more active person. This enables each snacker to set their own subjective goals and expectations, further encouraging perseverance in the program.

Many Americans spend up to 60% of their waking hours sitting. A sedentary lifestyle has been linked to higher risk of nearly every major health issue from diabetes to cancer. If you sit a lot, set a timer to get yourself onto your feet every 15-30 minutes and perform your chosen activity for anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. High intensity snacking can be of shorter duration, and moderate intensity snacking can go on for up to 5-10 minutes. 

At first, movements might include: counter push-ups, sit-n-stands (stand in front of a chair, sit down, and then stand up again, rinse and repeat), household or garden tasks, dancing to a favorite tune, etc. Get creative, the body loves to move. Do the movement that you enjoy and that you will want to return to. Aim for 3 times a day and work your way to as much as 8 times per day, feeling the RPE of “hard” to “very hard”.

As you gain stamina, or if you’re already fairly fit, make the snacks more vigorous, or do them for a longer time. Include higher impact movements like hopping or jumping, take a brisk 2-5 minute walk or jog, dig a hole for a new tree, scrub the shower, etc. As long as you’re consistently interrupting prolonged periods of sitting and meeting the “hard” level of RPE, you’re doing it right.

Breathing techniques

Stress is a risk factor for many diseases, and slow diaphragmatic breath has been shown to balance the nervous systems.

Breathing techniques of several types are also showing cardio-respiratory fitness benefits. Yoga-style breathing techniques, also known as pranayama, have been studied for their positive effects on lung function and capacity for inhalation, improved heart rate variability, enhanced exercise tolerance, which is good for asthma and COPD, and improved VO2max, a measurement of how much oxygen you can use when exercising.

Of the various breathing techniques studied, two are also beneficial for calming the nervous system, which leads to lower levels of stress. Stress is a risk factor for many diseases, and slow diaphragmatic breath as well as alternate nostril breath have both been shown to balance the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems, helping us avoid the “fight or flight” state of being, and instead be in the “rest and digest” state, our default natural state, more often. 

Diaphragmatic breathing

For diaphragmatic breath, find a comfortable position, either reclining but not completely flat, or seated with back support. Become aware of your breath and gradually deepen it, placing your hands on lower ribs to feel the belly and lower rib area gently expand as you inhale, and softly recede as you exhale. Work your way up to about 5 seconds on the inhale and 5 seconds on the exhale. You want to feel you are filling but not over-filling the tank, and avoiding any sense of force or strain. Continue for 5 minutes for a nervous system reset. It may take a week or more to work your way up to five minutes.

Alternate nostril breathing

Alternate nostril breathing is a bit more complicated, so you might want to wait until you have mastered diaphragmatic breathing before attempting it. It is a little easier to perform in a supported seated position, but you can do it reclining as well. Using the fingers and thumb of either hand, you will close off one nostril while exhaling and then inhaling through the other. While holding the breath in, close off the other nostril and repeat, exhaling and then inhaling, continuing to alternate in this manner for up to five minutes.

Three-part breathing

For a more stimulating effect, shown in research to improve brain alertness and executive function, try a three-part breath. Reclining but not completely flat is the best position for this one at the beginning. 

1. Place your hands on your belly below the ribs. Take 5 slow deep breaths into your hands. 
2. Move one hand up to your ribs on either side. Hold the belly flat, and take five slow breaths into your ribs. 
3. Move your belly hand to your collarbones/upper chest. Hold ribs and belly flat as you take 5 slow breaths into your collarbones. 
4. Pause and breathe normally for a few rounds, then do the three-part breath like this: 
   • Take the first third of your breath into the belly, then pause briefly. 
   • Take the second third into the ribs, pause briefly. 
   • Take the final third of the inhale into the collarbones, pause briefly, and then exhale everything all at once. 
5. Breathe normally for a few rounds and then repeat steps 1-4 up to 5 times. 

All three of these breathing snacks can be performed once or twice a day, on their own or in combination with each other. As you gain experience, you will discover which ones you like best, and you can tailor your breath snacking accordingly.

Happy Snacking New Year!

Ann Constantino, submitted on behalf of the SoHum Health’s Outreach department.