Studies show encouraging news for people with little time in their day for long bouts of exercise. According to two papers published in the European Heart Journal, short bursts of high-intensity exercise throughout the day can help significantly extend longevity.
The research emphasizes what has long been understood: physical activity can help lower the risk of all-cause mortality. Now, however, researchers are gleaning insight into how powerful the relationship is. Even two-minute bouts of intense movement can materially offset health risks.
Analyzing several scenarios, researchers identified substantial benefits of movement on health outcomes. A complete cessation of activity resulted in a 4% chance of death within five years. However, subjects who performed no more than 10 minutes of intense exercise a week enjoyed risk levels half as high. When 60 minutes or more was performed, the risk of death within five years fell to 1%.
The first study revealed that accumulating short bursts of movement can materially diminish health risks. For example, performing intense exercise for two minutes, four times a day, was correlated with a 27% reduction in the risk of death. Even ten short bursts, spread across the entire week, netted a 16% reduction in developing cardiovascular disease and a 17% reduction in cancer risk.
The study’s author, Dr. Matthew N. Ahmadi of the University of Sydney, Australia, says the findings are good news for people short on time. “The results indicate that accumulating vigorous activity in short bouts across the week can help us live longer… Given that lack of time is the most commonly reported barrier to regular physical activity, accruing small amounts sporadically during the day may be a particularly attractive option for busy people,” said Ahmadi.
A second study analyzed the impact of exercise volume and intensity on cardiovascular disease risk. Researchers found that higher intensity levels resulted in more meaningful reductions in cardiovascular disease. When moderate-to-vigorous effort is doubled from 10% to 20% of physical activity, cardiovascular disease risk shrinks by roughly 14%.
According to the study’s author, Dr. Paddy C. Dempsey, an increase in volume is only one factor of physical activity that benefits our health. “Raising the intensity was also particularly important, while increasing both was optimal,” he said. “This indicates that boosting the intensity of activities you already do is good for heart health,” according to Dempsey. For that reason, Dr. Dempsey recommends looking for opportunities to raise your heart rate throughout your day. “For example, picking up the pace on your daily walk to the bus stop or completing household chores more quickly” are some of the ideas he suggests.
