Fitness

Scientists Find This Type of Exercise Cuts Heart Disease Risk in Half

Published

1 year ago

December 16, 2024

Scientists Find This Type of Exercise Cuts Heart Disease Risk in Half

A few short bursts of exercise throughout the day may reduce heart disease risk by 50%, according to new research.
Women specifically showed the most pronounced effects of short bursts of activity.
Experts explain the findings.

If you struggle to get your steps in or to find enough time in the day to hit the gym, you’re in luck. New research finds that even a few short bursts of exercise may cut your heart disease risk in half.

A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine used data from more than 22,000 people between 40 and 79 years old from the UK. These participants wore physical activity trackers for nearly 24 hours a day between 2013 and 2015. Data from hospital and death records were also used to keep track of the participants’ heart health to look for major cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.

Women, in particular, showed more obvious effects from the short bursts of activity. That is, women who did at least 3.4 minutes of short bursts of vigorous activity per day were found to be 45% less likely to have a major cardiovascular event. When exercising between 1.5 and four minutes a day (with bursts lasting up to one minute), researchers saw an association of a 51% reduced risk for heart attack and a 67% reduced risk for heart failure, compared to those who did not perform this type of exercise.

While women saw the most impact on their heart health, the male participants also saw some benefits of this activity. With a minimum of 2.3 minutes of activity per day, researchers found that men lowered their risk for major cardiovascular events by 11%; performing 5.6 minutes a day of this type of movement saw that men were 16% less likely to experience a major cardiovascular event.

“Making short bursts of vigorous physical activity a lifestyle habit could be a promising option for women who are not keen on structured exercise or are unable to do it for any reason,” study author Emmanuel Stamatakis, Ph.D, director of the Mackenzie Wearable Hub at the Charles Perkins Centre and the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, said in a statement.

Exercise helps the heart work better, says David Sagbir, M.D., board-certified cardiologist and spokesperson for Avocados-Love One Today. “Regular physical activity strengthens the heart muscle and improves blood flow which can help reduce risk factors for developing heart disease such as lowering blood pressure, managing cholesterol levels, helping regulate blood sugar, and impacting visceral adipose tissue—the type of body fat that surrounds organs and can increase our risk of heart disease,” he explains.

So if you want to focus on boosting heart health, Dr. Sagbir says that the best exercise for reducing heart disease risk is aerobic—the kind that increases your heart rate and gets you breathing more heavily. “I am a big fan of getting your heart pumping and circulation going with a daily walk,” he advises. And, as Dr. Sagbir points out, every micro-walk counts.

Walking is a proven means of reducing many of the major risk factors of heart disease, including blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and a high body mass index, Dr. Sagbir continues. “In addition to the cardiovascular benefits, improvements in cognitive function and memory, mood and stress, as well as longevity have all been documented,” he says (and recent research shows that walking could even add over a decade to your life!). Walking calls for no equipment, does not require a gym membership, and is adaptable to busy lifestyles, which is why Dr. Sagbir highly recommends getting your steps in.

In addition to walking, Cheng-Han Chen, M.D., board-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center, recommends jogging, taking the stairs, biking, and swimming/water aerobics. “It is also helpful to incorporate some strength training, as this also helps to improve the function of blood vessels,” he advises.

The bottom line

This study shows that even small amounts of higher-intensity exercise, just a few minutes at a time, can potentially provide a significant benefit to heart health, says Dr. Chen. “These are activities that can be incorporated into even a busy schedule. One can take brisk one-to-two-minute walks up and down the stairs, or get exercise through normal daily activities such as carrying heavy groceries,” he explains.

These findings are also compelling because of changes that take place during the menopause transition and how exercise may be particularly beneficial to women in this life stage, notes Dr. Sagbir. “Women experience changes during the menopausal transition that put them at greater risk for heart disease,” he says. For example, high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease, significantly increases after menopause, he explains.

To reduce heart disease risk, Dr. Chen recommends engaging in regular physical activity, eating a nutritious balanced diet, getting an adequate amount of quality sleep, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, and managing blood pressure and cholesterol numbers.

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Fitness

Higher Fitness Levels Amplify Brain Benefits After Exercise, Study Finds

Published

11 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Higher Fitness Levels Amplify Brain Benefits After Exercise, Study Finds

Increasing our level of physical fitness leads to a bigger release of brain-boosting proteins following one session of exercise, a new study led by a UCL researcher has found.

The study, published in Brain Research, took a group of inactive unfit participants through a 12-week training programme of cycling three times per week and made them fitter. Researchers found as their fitness increased, so did the amount of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) released following exercise, resulting in improved brain function.

Just 15 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise releases BDNF, a brain protein which is known to support the formation of new neurons and new synapses (connections between brain cells), and maintains the health of existing neurons. This is the first study to show that for unfit people, just 12 weeks of consistent training can boost the brain’s response to a single 15-minute workout.

The study, led by Dr Flaminia Ronca (UCL Surgery & Interventional Science, and the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health), involved 30 participants – 23 male and seven female – taking part in the 12-week programme. To assess fitness levels throughout the programme, participants completed VO2max tests every six weeks, which measures the maximum rate of oxygen your body can consume and use during intense exercise.

BDNF levels were measured pre- and post-VO2max testing, alongside a series of cognitive and memory tests, while also measuring changes in brain activity in the prefrontal cortex – where executive functions such as decision-making, emotion regulation, attention and impulsivity are controlled.

By the final week of the trial, results showed that baseline levels of BDNF did not change, but participants did show a larger spike of BDNF following intense exercise, compared to how their brains responded to intense exercise before the 12-week programme. This was linked to improvements in VO2max (aerobic fitness).

Higher overall BDNF levels and stronger exercise-induced increases were also associated with changes in activity across key areas of the prefrontal cortex during attention and inhibition tasks, though not during memory tasks.

Overall, the results showed that increasing physical fitness can enhance the brain’s ability to produce BDNF in response to acute bouts of exercise, which can have a strong positive influence on neural activity.

Lead author Dr Flaminia Ronca said: “We’ve known for a while that exercise is good for our brain, but the mechanisms through which this occurs are still being disentangled. The most exciting finding from our study is that if we become fitter, our brains benefit even more from a single session of exercise, and this can change in only six weeks.”

Notes to editors:

For more information or to speak to the researchers involved, please contact: Tom Cramp, UCL Media Relations , T: +447586 711698, E: [email protected]

The research paper: ‘BDNF relates to prefrontal cortex activity in the context of physical exercise’, Flaminia Ronca, Cian Xu, Ellen Kong, Dennis Chan, Antonia Hamilton, Giampietro Schiavo, Ilias Tachtsidis, Paola Pinti, Benjamin Tari, Tom Gurney, Paul W. Burgess, is published in Brain Research, March 2026,

About UCL (University College London)

UCL is a diverse global community of world-class academics, students, industry links, external partners, and alumni. Our powerful collective of individuals and institutions work together to explore new possibilities.

Since 1826, we have championed independent thought by attracting and nurturing the world’s best minds. Our community of more than 50,000 students from 150 countries and over 16,000 staff pursues academic excellence, breaks boundaries and makes a positive impact on real world problems.

We are consistently ranked among the top 10 universities in the world and are one of only a handful of institutions rated as having the strongest academic reputation and the broadest research impact.

We have a progressive and integrated approach to our teaching and research – championing innovation, creativity and cross-disciplinary working. We teach our students how to think, not what to think, and see them as partners, collaborators and contributors.

For 200 years, we are proud to have opened higher education to students from a wide range of backgrounds and to change the way we create and share knowledge.

We were the first in England to welcome women to university education and that courageous attitude and disruptive spirit is still alive today. We are UCL.

www.ucl.ac.uk | Read news at www.ucl.ac.uk/news/ | Follow UCL News on Bluesky and LinkedIn

Journal

Brain Research

DOI

10.1016/j.brainres.2026.150253

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

BDNF relates to prefrontal cortex activity in the context of physical exercise

Article Publication Date

4-Mar-2026

Media Contact

Tom Cramp

University College London

[email protected]

Journal
Brain Research
DOI
10.1016/j.brainres.2026.150253

Journal

Brain Research

DOI

10.1016/j.brainres.2026.150253

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

BDNF relates to prefrontal cortex activity in the context of physical exercise

Article Publication Date

4-Mar-2026

Tags
/Health and medicine/Human health/Physical exercise

bu içeriği en az 2000 kelime olacak şekilde ve alt başlıklar ve madde içermiyecek şekilde ünlü bir science magazine için İngilizce olarak yeniden yaz. Teknik açıklamalar içersin ve viral olacak şekilde İngilizce yaz. Haber dışında başka bir şey içermesin. Haber içerisinde en az 12 paragraf ve her bir paragrafta da en az 50 kelime olsun. Cevapta sadece haber olsun. Ayrıca haberi yazdıktan sonra içerikten yararlanarak aşağıdaki başlıkların bilgisi var ise haberin altında doldur. Eğer yoksa bilgisi ilgili kısmı yazma.:
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Keywords

Tags: 12-week cycling training program benefitsbrain plasticity and physical fitnessbrain-derived neurotrophic factor after exerciseeffects of aerobic exercise on BDNFexercise and neuron healthexercise-induced neurogenesisfitness level impact on brain proteinsfitness training for cognitive improvementimproving brain function through fitnessmoderate to vigorous aerobic exercise effectsphysical fitness and brain healthVO2max and brain function correlation

Fitness

Exercise Bikes With Zero Monthly Subscriptions: Home Fitness Range Announced

Published

24 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Exercise Bikes With Zero Monthly Subscriptions: Home Fitness Range Announced

SOLE Fitness announces new additions to its home exercise bike range, with models including built-in screens, resistance systems, and notably, zero monthly subscription fees.

Salt Lake City, United States, March 9, 2026 — SOLE Fitness has announced a new range of home exercise bikes aligning with its policy against mandatory monthly subscription fees – addressing a growing concern among cost-conscious fitness enthusiasts.

For more information, visit: https://www.soletreadmills.com/collections/bikes

The announcement comes as subscription fatigue intensifies across the home fitness market – where hidden costs of ongoing memberships have become a significant pain point for buyers. Many consumers now actively seek alternatives that deliver premium features without the financial burden of perpetual fees – and SOLE Fitness offers its range in direct response.

Technical capabilities across the range support the no-subscription experience through innovative design and robust hardware. For instance, SOLE Fitness cites the SB1200 exercise bike as a suitable option for its 10-inch touchscreen – including preloaded entertainment applications.

SOLE’s team notes that this particular model also incorporates 100 levels of adjustable magnetic resistance, offering a broad spectrum of intensity for diverse workout preferences. A 35-pound flywheel contributes to smooth, consistent pedaling motion, while the durable steel frame supports users up to 300 pounds.

Elsewhere in the range, SOLE Fitness offers options across recumbent, upright, and indoor cycling styles to accommodate different fitness goals and space constraints.

The LCR Recumbent Bike is an example of a comfortable seated design with back support, ideal for low-impact cardio sessions, coming with 40 levels of magnetic resistance. The B94 Upright Bike, meanwhile, delivers a traditional bike posture with 20 levels of resistance, suited for users seeking straightforward training without advanced touchscreen features.

Central to the value proposition is the SOLE+ App, which provides zero-cost online fitness classes to customers who own SOLE equipment. The app offers hundreds of home gym video tutorials ranging from basic to advanced routines – standing in contrast to platforms that charge separately for similar content.

As explained by SOLE Fitness, its overall range is engineered for smooth, silent rides through magnetic resistance systems, sturdy steel frames, and precision components that deliver a premium indoor cycling experience. Magnetic resistance eliminates the wear and noise associated with friction pads, while the structural integrity of the frames ensures stability during high-intensity intervals.

“Each treadmill is crafted to provide an unparalleled exercise experience, featuring robust motors, intuitive controls, and cushioned running surfaces for maximum impact absorption,” says a company representative.

Moreover, since the company’s product portfolio is designed to offer entry points at various price levels, customers have readily available access to select models that align with their own budget and training preferences.

Interested parties can browse the full selection at: https://www.soletreadmills.com/

Contact Info:
Name: Inquiries
Email: Send Email
Organization: SOLE Fitness
Address: 56 Exchange Pl., Salt Lake City, UT 84111, United States
Website: https://www.soletreadmills.com/

Release ID: 89185487

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