Quick two-minute bursts of intense exercise may help us live longer

A little exercise is always better than none when it comes to our health, but studies continue to highlight the value of engaging in even the shortest bouts of physical activity. Newly published research in this area has shown how a series of two-minute bursts of high-intensity exercise throughout the week can offer a longevity boost, linking this lifestyle to a lower risk of all-cause mortality.

It’s not always easy to find the time to exercise for extended periods, but recently we’ve started to see how even bite-sized sessions can improve our health. These findings include how breaking up a day of sitting with “activity snacks” can help maintain muscle masshow lowering a dumbbell just six times a day can deliver significant gains in strengthand how using the stairs instead of an elevator might help retain brain volume in our later years.

This new research, published in two articles, again focuses on exercise solutions for those who are short on time. The authors drew on the UK Biobank Long-Term Study to assess more than 150,000 adult subjects between the ages of 40 and 69, leveraging data from the wrist activity tracker to gain insight into their eating habits. exercise.

In the first study, involving more than 70,000 adults without cardiovascular disease or cancer, researchers looked at the volume and frequency of vigorous activity and examined the association with death from all causes, as well as from those two conditions .

Even small amounts of activity seemed to have some impact. Total inactivity was linked to a 4% risk of dying within five years. This was cut in half with less than 10 minutes of vigorous exercise per week, while the risk dropped to 1% with 60 minutes or more. 15 minutes per week was associated with an 18% reduction in the risk of premature death, while 53 minutes per week was associated with a 36% reduction in death from any cause.

And this analysis revealed that accumulating that time in short bursts of up to two minutes spread throughout the day also had an effect. Four bursts of vigorous activity each day were linked to a 27% lower risk of death. Meanwhile, 10 short bursts a week were linked to a 16% reduction in cardiovascular disease risk and a 17% reduction in cancer risk.

“The results indicate that piling up vigorous activity in short bursts throughout the week can help us live longer,” said study author Dr. Matthew N. Ahmadi, of the University of Sydney, Australia. “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.”

The second study examined the relationship between exercise volume and intensity and cardiovascular disease risk. The authors found that increasing intensity was associated with greater risk reductions for the same volume of exercise. As an example, the risk rate for cardiovascular disease was 14% lower when moderate-to-vigorous activity accounted for 20% instead of 10% of activity.

“Our results suggest that increasing the total volume of physical activity is not the only way to reduce the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease,” said study author Dr. Paddy C. Dempsey. “Raising the intensity was also particularly important, while raising both was optimal. This indicates that increasing the intensity of the activities you already do is good for your heart health. For example, picking up the pace on your daily walk to the bus stop or completing household chores faster.”

Both articles were published in the european Heart Journal, and can be accessed hereY here.

Font: European Society of Cardiology via Eurek Alert