Short amounts of daily physical activity may reduce risk of premature death – new study

Most of us know that regular exercise is important for health and longevity.But with our busy schedules, many of us struggle to find time to fit in a workout. our latest research It has been shown that long periods of exercise are not necessary to reap the health benefits of exercise.

The study found that 3-4 minutes of short bursts of vigorous activity throughout the day significantly reduced the risk of premature death from all causes compared to those who did nothing.

To conduct our study, we recruited 25,241 participants. UK biobank study Those who reported not doing leisure-time physical activity or recreational walking at least once a week. Approximately 56% of participants were female, with an average age of approximately 62 years.

To get an accurate picture of participants’ activity levels, we provided them with a smartwatch-like wearable fitness tracker that they wore on their wrists for a week. This allowed me to accurately monitor their activity levels throughout the day, something most people struggle to remember.

We then correlated the data collected at the beginning of the study with the participants’ clinical records for an average of approximately 7 years thereafter. This allowed us to ascertain whether any of the participants died and the cause of death.

Care was taken to statistically control the analysis for factors that might explain the results, such as a person’s diet and smoking status. , and participants who died during the first 2 years of follow-up were also excluded. This ensured that the results were more scientifically certain.

Surprisingly, about 89% recorded what was known as exercise, even though participants reported not doing any structured exercise. strenuous intermittent lifestyle physical activity with a tracker. This is usually physical activity lasting less than a minute and is usually part of everyday life. Examples of this type of physical activity include playing with children or pets, carrying groceries, bouncing upstairs, walking uphill, and running to catch a train.

On average, participants recorded eight short activities each day, totaling just under four and a half minutes. Three to four short bouts of activity each day were found to reduce not only deaths from cancer, but premature death from all causes by up to 40%. It was also associated with a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease of up to 49%.

The gains tended to plateau for the shorter bursts of activity the person got. An increase was seen.

These results are surprising, but they seem to be in line with what other studies have shown. Small trial It has been shown that very small amounts of brisk intermittent activity can improve cardio fitnessan important predictor of longevity.

High-intensity exercise training (short workouts of 10-30 minutes, short bursts of intense exercise followed by rest periods) is also blood sugar controlcholesterol, blood pressure, obesitywhich may lower the risk of both cancer and cardiovascular disease.

However, our study is the first to show an association between unstructured physical activity and health benefits.

daily activities

most adults do not meet Current physical activity recommendations1 in 4 people in the UK do less than 30 minutes of physical activity one week.

many quotes time limit as a reason. By demonstrating the health benefits of daily activity, our study helps motivate even those who do not exercise regularly to include at least a few short bouts of activity in their day. There is a possibility.

existing physical activity guidelines It is based on research that has looked at the benefits of structured, sustained activity, often in the form of sports, gym training, or daily running. Public Health Guidance indicates that specific recommendations for short activities that can be easily incorporated into daily life may need to be considered.

Although the wearable trackers we used in our study did not provide information about where these short bursts of activity occurred, many simple, mundane tasks can be performed during an intense, intermittent lifestyle. You can think of it as physical activity.

So if you’re someone who might have a hard time adapting to a workout or feel intimidated by the job, there are probably many things you can do in your daily life to stay fit. exercise you do.