is it okay to split cardio up into 2 or 3 chunks throughout the day?

Hello,

I have a treadmill in m house and try to use it 3 times a week, along with going to the gym twice a week.

The problem is, I have a little baby who doesnt sleep during the day, so I can usually only manage 15 minutes on the treadmill before having to see to the baby.

I'm wondering, if I run for 15 minutes, 3 times throughout the day, is that as beneficial as doing one 45 minute run?

any advice would be great. 

Any amount of exercise whether you split it up or all at once is great.  It's really about personal preference and what you can make time for.  I have 4 children so exercise comes in little spurts.  Usually my children will find me doing push-ups on my kitchen counter or running up and down the stairswhile I'm waiting for the washer to finish up it's las few minutes.  Some articles I have read say its more effective to break up carido regimens others here and there will dispell it.  So do what you can do and keep up the good work!

I've been taught that 20min is the minimum to get the full benefit for cardio training, but even 15 min at a time is going to do you some good. 

There is new research that says the "30 minutes" a day will give you the same benefits even if you split them into 10-15 minute chunks. Check out the link and enjoy. 10-15 minutes at a time is better than giving up and doing nothing.

http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/25-easy -ways-to-fit-in-10-minutes-of-exercise/6d8588 dc78803110VgnVCM10000013281eac____/fitness/ge tting.started/workout.intensity

 Up to a point - for health, not performance - 10 3-minute bursts of exercise is as effective as one 30-minute session. It's not going to be enough if your goal is to run any appreciable distance, bike any length of time and so on, but for cardio health one's as good as the other.

 So getting in your exercise in short bursts may not be enough if your goal is to improve endurance, but for health and reasonable cardio fitness it'll help.