No more excuses: Just 2 minutes of intense exercise every day could extend lifespan

Sydney, Australia- Many people cite a lack of time to justify their nonexistent exercise routine, but a new study from Australia could put an end to that excuse. Scientists at the University of Sydney report that two minutes of “bursts” of vigorous physical activity totaling just 15 minutes per week are associated with a lower risk of death.

That’s right, finding as little as two minutes a day for a quick workout can prolong your life!

“The results indicate that accumulating vigorous activity in short periods throughout the week can help us live longer,says study author Dr. Matthew N. Ahmadi of the University of Sydney, Australia, in a Press release “Since lack of time is the most commonly reported barrier to regular physical activity, accumulating small amounts sporadically throughout the day may be a particularly attractive option for busy people.”

Additionally, a second segment of the research shows that for a given amount of physical activity, increasing exercise intensity is associated with a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease. “Our study shows that it is not just the amount of activity, but also the intensity, that is important for cardiovascular health,” adds study co-author Dr Paddy C. Dempsey, from the University of Leicester and the University from Cambridge in the UK. and the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne.

Both projects included adults between the ages of 40 and 69. subjects used an activity tracker on your wrist for seven consecutive days. This served as an objective way of measuring their activity levels, particularly sporadic activity of varying intensities throughout the day.

Connection of exercise intensity with life expectancy and general health

The first study included 71,893 adults without cardiovascular disease or cancer. The median age of the participants was 62.5 years, and just over half (56%) were women. The study authors measured weekly levels of vigorous activity and the frequency of exercise sessions lasting two minutes or less. This was a long-term study; subjects were followed for an average of 6.9 years.

Then, the associations between the volume and frequency of vigorous activity with death (from all causes, heart disease, and cancer) and the incidence of heart disease and cancer after excluding events that occurred in the first year were analyzed by the investigators. Indeed, as both the volume and frequency of vigorous activity increased, the risk of all five adverse outcomes considered decreased.

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Health benefits were seen even with small amounts of exercise. For example, subjects who did not exercise vigorously at all had a four percent risk of dying within five years. That risk was cut in half (2%) with less than 10 minutes of weekly vigorous activity. The risk of death dropped to one percent with 60 minutes or more.

Compared with two minutes of vigorous exercise per week, 15 minutes of vigorous exercise was associated with an 18% lower risk of death and a 15% lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Meanwhile, 12 minutes was linked to a 17 percent lower risk of cancer.

In general, the more exercise, the better. For example, approximately 53 minutes of physical activity per week was associated with a 36% lower risk of death from any cause.

What about the frequency of training?

Short bouts (up to two minutes) of vigorous activity four times a day on average were associated with 27 percent lower risk of death. However, health benefits were also seen even with lower exercise frequencies; 10 short weekly sessions were associated with 16 percent and 17 percent lower odds of cardiovascular disease and cancer, respectively.

The second study included 88,412 adult subjects, all free of heart disease. The average age of the participants was 62 years and 58% were women. Both higher amounts and higher intensity were again linked to lower rates of incident heart disease. Increasing exercise intensity also fostered a greater decrease in cardiovascular disease for the same volume of exercise. So, for example, the rate of cardiovascular disease was 14% lower when moderate-to-vigorous activity accounted for 20% instead of 10% of activity, which would be the equivalent of turning a 14-minute leisurely walk into a seven-minute brisk walk.

“Our results suggest that increasing the total volume of physical activity is not the only way to reduce the probability of developing cardiovascular diseases. Increasing intensity was also particularly important, while increasing both was optimal. This indicates that increasing the intensity of the activities you already do is good. for heart health. For example, increasing the pace of your daily walk to the bus stop or completing household chores faster,” Dr. Dempsey concludes.

Both studies are published in the European journal of the heart.