Doing just a few minutes of super-intense bursts of exercise—like sprinting or jumping—several times a day can make you stronger and better at using oxygen, even if you’ve been totally inactive.

Doing quick, intense bursts of exercise—like sprinting in place or climbing stairs—several times a day can help your heart and lungs get stronger, even if you’re not a regular exerciser. But we’re not super sure yet because the studies are small or messy.

Short bursts of exercise throughout the day—called 'exercise snacks'—might help people who don’t move much get better at using oxygen during activity, but we’re not super sure because the studies are all over the place and not super reliable.

If you're not very active, doing short bursts of exercise like climbing stairs or jumping jacks for more than 2 minutes a few times a day can help you get a bit stronger and more powerful, especially in short, intense efforts.

If you don’t usually exercise, doing short bursts of activity throughout the day—like climbing stairs or quick walks—can really boost your energy and lower your bad cholesterol more than it does for people who already work out a lot.

Doing quick, intense bursts of exercise—like sprinting in place or climbing stairs for 30 seconds—several times a day can make your muscles stronger and more powerful, even if you’re not normally active.