{"id":512426,"date":"2026-03-03T21:59:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T21:59:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/512426\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T21:59:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T21:59:07","slug":"expert-explains-why-short-bursts-of-movement-can-boost-your-health-virginia-tech-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/512426\/","title":{"rendered":"Expert explains why short bursts of movement can boost your health | Virginia Tech News"},"content":{"rendered":"

As busy schedules and sedentary jobs compete for our time, many people are asking: What\u2019s the least amount of movement I need to still see benefits? According to Stella Volpe<\/a>, head of Virginia Tech’s Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise<\/a>, the answer may be encouraging.<\/p>\n

What does \u201cminimum effective movement\u201d mean in simple terms?<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s the smallest amount of physical activity needed to improve fitness and support good health outcomes,” Volpe said. “It\u2019s about finding the ‘just enough’ dose of movement that still makes a meaningful difference.”<\/p>\n

How is minimum effective movement different from traditional exercise guidelines?<\/p>\n

“Traditional exercise guidelines are designed for long-term health and sustained activity. The minimum effective movement focuses on the least amount of movement needed to produce benefits. It\u2019s especially appealing to people who may not feel ready to commit to longer workouts but still want results,” she said.<\/p>\n

What does research tell us about the smallest amount of movement that still improves health?<\/p>\n

“Research shows that even short bursts of activity, sometimes called ‘exercise snacks,’ can improve cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, and metabolic health,” Volpe explained. “These brief bouts add up over time and can positively impact blood sugar control, weight management, and overall fitness.”<\/p>\n

What kinds of movements qualify as \u201ceffective\u201d at a minimum level?<\/p>\n

“Many activities count. Walking briskly, climbing stairs, running, doing push-ups, air squats, burpees, jumping jacks, or other bodyweight movements can all be effective. The key is engaging large muscle groups and elevating your heart rate, even briefly,” Volpe said.<\/p>\n

How do people know when movement is enough to be effective?<\/p>\n

“A simple indicator is how you feel. You should feel slightly challenged, breathing a little heavier and working your muscles, but still capable of doing a bit more. If it feels too easy, it may not be enough stimulus. If it feels overwhelming, scale back slightly. Over time, you will notice you can complete the same activities with less effort, which signals improved fitness,” she said.<\/p>\n

Who is the minimum effective movement especially helpful for?<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s helpful for beginners, some older adults, people returning after injury, and individuals short on time,” said Volpe. “It\u2019s also beneficial for people who exercise regularly but have sedentary jobs. Short movement breaks throughout the day can counteract prolonged sitting and support overall health.”<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the simplest place to start today?<\/p>\n

“Anywhere you are, at home, at work, or even on vacation. Take the stairs. Do a quick set of squats while waiting for your coffee. Go for a 10-minute brisk walk. The important thing is to start. Small amounts of consistent movement can have powerful long-term effects. Remember that some activity is always better than none,” Volpe said.<\/p>\n

Written by Carley Thompson<\/p>\n

About Volpe<\/p>\n

Stella Volpe<\/a> is a professor and head of Virginia Tech\u2019s Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise<\/a>. Volpe’s research focuses on obesity and diabetes prevention, as well as functional foods and inflammatory markers. She also conducts research on athletes of all levels. Volpe is an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)-certified clinical exercise physiologist and a registered dietitian nutritionist. She is the past chair of the President\u2019s Council for Fitness, Sports and Nutrition and is past president of the ACSM.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Interview<\/p>\n

To schedule an interview with Stella Volpe, contact Margaret Ashburn at mkashburn@vt.edu<\/a> or 540-529-0814.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As busy schedules and sedentary jobs compete for our time, many people are asking: What\u2019s the least amount…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":512427,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[203380,49,48,38862,84,90160],"class_list":["post-512426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-and-exerciseimpacttop-news-college-of-agriculture-and-life-sciencesmedia-advisory","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-foods","tag-health","tag-human-nutrition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=512426"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512426\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/512427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=512426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=512426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=512426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}