3-minute workout: menopause exercise with Lavina Mehta

What is exercise snacking?

“Let me tell you properly about the healthiest type of snacking there is . . . exercise snacking.

It’s free, accessible, easy and quick to build into your everyday life. Rather than doing 30‒60 minutes of exercise all in one agon-izing go, you can break your session into smaller bite-size snacks throughout the day.”

Try this 3-minute exercise routine

Aim for up to 30 seconds on each exercise, working at a pace that feels manageable. Take breaks whenever you need them, and start with shorter intervals if you’re getting back into exercise.

Six 30-second intervals add up to three minutes of movement – allow extra time for rest and changing position. Use firm, stable support for supported exercises, and focus on controlled movements rather than speed.

What you’ll need

Optional weights, light dumbbells or tin cans work well.

How to do the exercises

Snack on 6 exercises, up to 30 seconds each, back-to-back. (You can rest afterwards, when you’re back to bingeing on TV. Obviously, rest if you really need to and build up to this goal.)

Always maintain proper form and technique. Mix up the tempo, going faster or even slower on the strength moves to maximize time under tension for the muscles. Enjoy the variety!

Marching and boxing

March feet (fast or slow from your seat) while punching your arms out – tins or light dumbbells are perfect for this. Vary the punches forwards, upwards, sideways.

Sit and stands

Stand up from the sofa, squeezing your glutes at the top, keeping your knees out in line with your toes, with your weight in your heels, and then come back down to touch the sofa. Keep repeating.

Star jumps

Step one or both feet in and out, with arms meeting to clap above your head – low or high impact, with or without jumps!

Press-ups

Keep your back straight and your core tight; bring your chest between your hands; bend your arms at 90 degrees; try on an incline, with hands or feet on the sofa. (The latter is harder!)

Plank or mountain climbers

Get into a plank position by maintaining a straight line from the back of your head to your heels; with hands on the sofa, draw one knee up to the chest. Keep alternating, or just hold your plank.

Dips off the sofa

Sit on the sofa edge and shuffle your body off; use your arm strength to help you lower and bring yourself back up while keeping the elbows facing back behind you and fingers facing towards your body. You can try this with legs bent or straight.

Benefits: 

• Breaks up long periods of sitting and slouching
• Keeps the body and muscles moving when we are seated
• Helps alleviate the niggles and pains we get from sitting still
• Improves functional movements to help everyday tasks
• Boosts your mood

Extracted from The Feel Good Fix by Lavina Mehta, published by Penguin Life,

Photo: Christina Solomons

How exercise snacks fit into your week

Short activity breaks can help you spend less time sitting. A review of 11 trials found that repeated exercise snacks improved heart and lung fitness in inactive adults. The research wasn’t specifically about menopause, and it didn’t establish that this particular routine matches the benefits of longer workouts.

For most adults, the aim is at least 150 minutes of moderate activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, each week, plus muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days. Short sessions can contribute, depending on their intensity. Our guide to exercise during menopause explains how to build a balanced routine.

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