- A recent study found that non-exercise physical activity was associated with a lower risk for major adverse cardiovascular events.
- Short bursts of physical activity among non-exercisers were also linked to a reduced risk of all-cause mortality.
- While extended periods of physical activity are important, short bursts throughout the day are often easier to incorporate into everyday life.
- Research is ongoing about how short bouts of exercise benefits heart health, including for people who don’t exercise regularly.
While the health implications of physical activity abound, it can be hard to incorporate regular exercise.
However, the evidence continues to grow that even short periods of activity can make a difference.
A recent study published in
Researchers examined how shorter bouts of moderate-to-vigorous intermittent physical activity influenced participants’ overall mortality risk and their risk for serious cardiovascular events.
The findings show that short bursts of physical activity for at least 1 to 5 minutes throughout the day may reduce the risk for mortality, heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and other major adverse cardiac events.
People can participate in structured exercise such as going to the gym, taking certain classes, or taking time out of their day to cycle, run, or walk. However, finding longer chunks of time to exercise can often be a challenge.
Researchers of the present study wanted to understand how shorter bursts of activity may contribute to cardiovascular health.
The study was a prospective cohort study, and researchers used data from the UK Biobank. The researchers included over 25,000 participants in their analysis. They excluded participants who reported physical activity during leisure time and those who could not walk.
Researchers looked at data on the intervals of moderate-to-vigorous intermittent lifestyle…
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