Exercise snacking as a novel strategy for prevention and intervention of frailty in older adults: a scoping review

Abstract

As the population ages, frailty among older adults becomes a significant public health challenge. Conventional, long-duration exercise is often unsuited for older adults, whereas “exercise snacking”—a new, bite-sized approach to physical activity—shows great promise. However, most studies focused on middle-aged and young adults, and there is a lack of scoping reviews specifically addressing frailty in older adults. This scoping review summarizes the implementation of exercise snacking interventions and analyzes their effects on key indicators of frailty. A systematic search was conducted from the inception of the databases through April 23, 2026, in PubMed, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science to identify published studies on the use of exercise snacking among older adults. Forward and backward citation tracking was also performed to identify additional eligible studies. A comprehensive analysis of the included literature was carried out. A total of 16 studies were ultimately included, with the majority (94%) published in 2022 or later. The primary study design was a (pilot) randomized controlled trial ( n = 7); further research is needed in areas such as stratified interventions, pathogenic mechanisms, and long-term follow-up. The findings indicated that exercise snacking is generally safe, and that older participants demonstrated greater willingness to participate and higher long-term adherence compared to traditional exercise programs. This intervention improves physical function—including muscle strength, balance, and mobility—while also exerting positive effects on metabolism and cognitive function; however, improvements in certain metabolic indicators varied across studies. Characterized by a low entry barrier and easy integration into daily routines, exercise snacking serves as a reliable novel strategy for primary prevention and early intervention of frailty. Large-scale multicenter clinical trials are required to develop individualized exercise prescriptions stratified by frailty severity, facilitating standardized implementation of this physical activity modality within residential care services for older adults.