Two minutes of exercise every day is enough to prevent premature death
- 15 minutes of vigorous exercise per week can reduce the risk of death by 18%
- Findings are from an Australian study of 70,000 Britons followed for seven years.
- The authors say it shows that even a small amount of daily exercise can have benefits
- Even climbing stairs is considered ‘vigorous activity’, according to the NHS.
Research suggests that just two minutes of vigorous exercise each day may be enough to reduce the risk of dying prematurely.
It doesn’t even need to be too intense, experts say.
Climbing stairs, running around the yard, and skipping are enough, they argue.
Scientists say even a little exercise can make a big difference, with just two minutes of vigorous exercise a day cutting your risk of dying by almost a fifth.
Scientists at the University of Sydney analyzed data from more than 70,000 Britons to track their exercise levels for one week and their health over the next seven years.
The results showed that people who did just 15 minutes of vigorous activity per week or 2m 9 per day were 18% less likely to die during the study period.
This was compared to those who only went for 2 minutes a week.
“The results show that accumulating brisk activity in short bouts over a week can help extend our lifespan,” said lead author Matthew Ahmadi, Ph.D.
“Given that lack of time is the most commonly reported barrier to regular physical activity, sporadically accumulating small amounts during the day may be a particularly attractive option for busy individuals. not.”
NHS guidelines say adults should get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity on four to five days a week.
Examples of strenuous exercise include running, swimming, skipping, and climbing stairs.
Each participant in the study, on average in their 60s, roughly evenly split in gender, wore a wrist-mounted activity tracker for a full week and measured their totals. active time.
This data was compared to mortality and incidence of diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
Inactive people had an overall 4% risk of dying over the next five years, according to results published in the European Heart Journal.
Cancer Research UK predicts that by 2040 more than 42 million adults in the UK will be overweight or obese.
This risk was halved to just 2% for those who did 10 minutes a week and just 1% for those who did 1 hour a week.
But scientists say the most interesting findings concern the smallest bouts of vigorous activity per day.
But it was so much better.
For example, people who did 53 minutes a week, or about 7.5 minutes a day, were 36% less likely to die over five years than those who did 2 minutes a week.
The health benefits of regular exercise have been established for decades.
Staying healthy can help prevent obesity and its associated health effects, such as type 2 diabetes and cancer. It can also improve bone strength and mental health.
But only one in 20 adults in England gets the recommended amount of exercise each week, according to a May study by Essex researchers.
Lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet combine to contribute to the obesity epidemic in the UK.
According to the latest data, 64% of adults are overweight and many more are projected to gain weight in the future.
Obesity not only stretches Britain’s waistline, it also increases health care costs. Between 2014 and 2015, the NHS spent an estimated £6.1bn on treating weight-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
An estimated 73.6% of adults in the United States are considered overweight or obese.
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