Fitness
Cardiovascular risk almost halved by a few minutes of intense exercise
- Past studies show that getting enough physical activity can help lower a person’s risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).
- Researchers from the University of Sydney have found that just 1.5 to 4 minute small bursts of high intensity exercise throughout the day may lower a person’s MACE risk.
- This correlation was observed more significantly in female participants compared to male participants.
“Physical inactivity is a major public health issue contributing to
“There is a pressing need to identify feasible ways and support people to be physically active. Structured exercise such as gyms, running, classes, etc is fantastic towards these goals but only 20% of the middle aged and older population do it regularly,” he pointed out.
Stamatakis is the lead and corresponding author of a new study recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine that has found that just 1.5 to 4 minute small bursts of high intensity exercise throughout the day — scientifically known as vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) — such taking the stairs instead of an elevator or carrying groceries a short distance may help lower a person’s risk of MACE, especially in women.
For this study, researchers analyzed UK Biobank data from more than 103,000 middle-aged men and women with an average age of 61. All participants had worn an activity tracker 24 hours a day for a full week between 2013 and 2015.
About 22,000 participants said they did not follow any structured exercise program or only took one recreational walk a week, while the remaining participants said they regularly exercised.
Researchers used the activity trackers to determine which participants had bouts of VILPA during the day and for how long.
“Incidental physical activity, things we do as part of our daily routines, offers many untapped opportunities, but we do not understand what is the best way to promote, and how to support people — VILPA offers such an option,” Stamatakis explained.
“These are short bursts of vigorous incidental activity, typically lasting [between] 10 seconds [and] 1 minute, that are part of people’s daily living. This kind of activity may be more feasible than structured exercise for many people as it does not require preparations, time commitment, or traveling to a facility to be active,” he detailed.
“Using advanced wearable measurement methods that allow us to scrutinize the effects of daily movement at a very high resolution — 10-second time windows — we wanted to understand what are the effects of VILPA on major cardiovascular disease events,” added Stamatakis. “No such study has been published before.”
Study participants’ cardiovascular health was tracked until November 2022.
Upon analysis, researchers found that female participants with no formal exercise regimen who recorded an average of 3.4 minutes of VILPA a day were 51% less likely to have a heart attack, 67% decreased risk for heart failure, and 45% less likely to develop any type of MACE compared to female participants who did not clock any VILPA during their day.
Additionally, scientists discovered for women that even VILPA amounts of 1.2 to 1.6 minutes a day were associated with a 40% decreased risk of heart failure, 33% lowered risk of heart attack, and 30% lower risk of all MACE.
“This finding is significant for at least two reasons,” Stamatakis said. “First, it represents a much lower amount of physical activity [than] any current exercise related recommendation, and this activity is incidental — which implies that it may be easier for many people to incorporate it into their daily routine.
“The second noteworthy aspect of these findings is that we should not be fooled into thinking that small amounts of VILPA are a quick fix of a complex problem, like physical inactivity,” he continued.
“The beneficial associations we observed were in women who committed to short bursts of VILPA almost daily, several times each day — nine to 10 bursts on average. Turning such behavior into habit is not necessarily easy. Our results show that even a little bit of higher intensity activity can help and might be just the thing to help people develop a regular physical activity, or even exercise, habit in the long term. In most occasions people who are unaccustomed to vigorous exertion will need support to develop such a habit.”
– Emmanuel Stamatakis, PhD
When looking at male participants, those who averaged 5.6 minutes of VILPA each day with no formal exercise had a 16% reduced risk of having any type of MACE than those who did not clock any VILPA. However, scientists did not find any correlation between VILPA and separate types of MACE.
“It is hard to speculate why we observed this, our study was not specifically designed to understand mechanisms,” Stamatakis said.
“However, there is a good possibility that because men’s relative VILPA intensity was only 70% versus 83% for women — around 20% higher — [meaning that] women exerted themselves more during VILPA bouts, and as a result we could see a markedly lower cardiovascular disease risk in women, in the long term.”
“We are now examining the associations of incidental physical activities of any intensity, light, moderate, as well as vigorous, and heart disease risk,” he added. “We are particularly interested in understanding what is the ‘heart health value’ of each minute of moderate and light intensity activities against each minute of vigorous (activity).”
After reviewing this study, Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, told MNT that it is very promising to see such dramatic improvements in cardiovascular disease-related mortality with seemingly small amounts of vigorous exercise — something that could conceivably be accomplished by most people.
“Cardiovascular disease still remains the major cause of morbidity mortality in the world, so any intervention we can do to help lower that disease profile will have a great impact on the country’s health,” Chen continued.
“So we specifically promote lifestyle interventions that people can do on their own to improve people’s heart disease risk as preventive medicine, rather than waiting for the disease to progress and for us to have to intervene, either through medicines or through procedures,” he told us.
MNT also spoke with Rigved Tadwalkar, MD, a board-certified consultative cardiologist and medical director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, about this study.
“My initial reaction to this study is one of optimism,” Tadwalkar commented. “The findings suggest that even minimal amounts of VILPA can significantly reduce the risk of MACE in women who typically do not engage in structured exercise. This is especially encouraging for patients who find it challenging to adhere to traditional exercise regimens due to time constraints, physical limitations, or other barriers.”
“The study highlights the potential of incorporating brief, intense physical activities into daily routines as an alternative to more conventional exercise programs, offering a practical and accessible strategy for improving cardiovascular health,” he continued. “The gender-specific results also underscore the importance of tailoring exercise recommendations to individual needs, which could lead to more personalized and effective prevention and treatment plans.”
For those looking to increase their daily VILPA, Chen said there are different types of activities people can incorporate throughout their day for brief periods of time.
“The easiest would be to use your environment to your advantage,” he detailed. “For instance, if there are stairs in your home or in your workplace, then we’re talking about just taking 1 to 2 minute brisk walks up and down the stairs just a few times a day would accomplish what the study has shown. This study also mentioned that just vigorous day-to-day, lifestyle activities such as carrying heavy groceries could also provide the same heart health benefit.”
Tadwalkar advised setting reminders to move every hour can prompt these brief but intense activities,
“Many smartwatches and wearable devices already provide this capability,” he continued. “For those working from home or in an office setting, consider using a standing desk and/or periodically performing quick exercises — some effective options include jumping jacks and squats.”
“The key is to find opportunities to increase the heart rate in short intervals throughout the day, making physical activity both manageable and effective,” Tadwalkar added. “These strategies not only help to reduce cardiovascular risk but can also improve overall energy and general well-being.”
The American lifestyle is a busy – but sedentary – one. In an average day, one in four people spend eight hours sitting at desk jobs, nearly three hours in front of the TV, and around half an hour commuting to and from work.
And it’s showing up in their health – with only a quarter of U.S. adults getting the federally-recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise. Some 117 million live with one or more preventable chronic diseases, and Harvard researchers report as many as 70 percent of adults could be considered obese under expanded guidelines.
But while a long-term exercise plan is all good and well, some fitness and health experts are advising a jumpstart, with a little shortcut.
There’s a million different options and price points: from a $15-dollar jump rope for five minutes of skipping each day (which I wrote about last month) to $700 infrared sauna blankets.
“Exercise is great for those who can and want to do it, but ‘exercise’ is not necessary for health benefits. Any physical activity is healthful, and physical activity is what we do in daily life,” I-Min Lee, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told The Independent. “We don’t need to ‘exercise’ to reap health benefits.”
Cheat day, every day
Just five minutes of shoveling while gardening, vacuuming the living room carpet and even scrubbing shower tile can help a 150-pound person burn 150 calories an hour, the American Heart Association says.
But really it depends on what you’re looking to gain. For some people that might be losing some pounds, so running with a weighted vest on can help burn more calories, faster.
Others may be concerned about mobility, and could add hand and ankle weights to a routine. Gradually increasing the amount of weight will help improve muscle strength, metabolism, bone density and prevent injuries.
Or perhaps it’s getting stronger. Running up stairs in an exoskeleton – a robotic-looking, wearable “suit” made of plastic and metal – can amplify movement which builds strength and stamina over the course of a workout. But the cost investment is real – the average price is $1,500 but stretch up to $4,000.
At-home trampolines – a trend which gained popularity in the pandemic – offer a low impact way to boost strength and heart health.
But does a few minutes a day make a difference? “It’s not the duration of the exercise that matters in these instances – it’s the intensity,” UCLA Health doctors explained.
Robin Arzón, Peloton’s vice president of fitness programming, also said in a statement that just 15 minutes of any exercise can do the trick. “These quick routines can be just as effective for cardiovascular health and our ability to increase strength and endurance, while still maintaining focus,” she noted.
But if you’ve been off the exercise game for a while, fitness experts advise taking precautions first.
“Think of the time and work it took to get to your previous fitness level,” athletic trainer Jason Cruickshank said. “You’re not being fair to yourself if you think you’ll jump back in at the same spot.”
Keep it up
Consistency is key, and people can stay on top of exercise by removing the decision making. Lay out workout clothes ahead of time and set an alarm on your phone to make sure you stay on schedule.
Feel that your job is what’s holding you back? Walking pads can help busy workers meet their step goals, and chairs with pedals keep legs active while sitting for a long time. The priciest pads range from $400 to $1,400, although some are around $100. The pedal chairs also vary in price, typically selling for $200 to $1,000.
But walking doesn’t have to feel like a Herculean task.
Adding to your step count is as easy as putting on a new episode of your favorite podcast then going for a neighborhood walk, getting lunch at the sandwich shop a few blocks further away from the office, or deciding to take the long way home.
Try to find something that will hold your attention for around 30 minutes, the recommended amount of moderate exercise you need each day to lose weight.
But if you do make it to the gym, pair that Netflix binge with time on a stationary bike or treadmill. You can get caught up on your favorite shows and improve your heart, lung, bone and muscle health.
Cheap and cheerful
By all means if you have the money, give the crazy fitness cheat a try.
That could mean an AI-powered yoga mat that makes sure you’re holding the right posture for a smarter stretch or some $1,500 Jetboots that reduce soreness and improve circulation after a strenuous workout. Lying on a $1,200 red light mat promises muscle recovery and pain relief, as well.
A home gym system might see you spend a few thousand dollars – such as a bike, smart fitness mirror or rowing machine – but many of those once-trendy machines may become passé too quickly.
Beth Czerwony, a Cleveland Clinic registered dietitian, sounded a note of caution on expensive fads.
“When trying out a new way to work out or improve their health, they may be setting themselves up for failure because they may not be doing those methods correctly (either using fad supplements or pricey equipment or even using the incorrect form when exercising) or may have a health condition that would interfere with that method,” she said.
Still, there are plenty of inexpensive options. When it came to my five minutes of jump rope each day, I opted for a $15 rainbow LED version, to brighten up the experience. And for only a few dollars more, weighted jump ropes, of up to five pound, can quickly sculpt your upper body and core.
People trying to perfect the perfect push-up could opt for special pads to help their position and grip for only $25. The pads reduce strain on the wrists and hands, and the handles rotate to better engage different parts of the upper body.
Vibration plates help improve circulation, muscle building and weight loss for under $100. The Mayo Clinic says they can even reduce back pain and bone loss, as well as improve strength and balance in older adults.
Enlist a distraction
Try cheating on that fitness cheat. If you find it hard to be consistent with exercise or, well, that it’s just plain boring, combine it with other things.
Play with a balloon like you did when you were a kid, or dance to songs that will raise your heart rate to 171 beats per minute: a tempo that can make physical work feel easier and boost heart health.
Meet a friend for a brisk walk or jogging and gab your way through several miles.
Track your progress to stay focused. And for extra fun, map out a walking route or run that draws a little picture, on the exercise tracking app Strava. Your fellow runners will appreciate it.
Fitness
Diet vs exercise: Which fitness approach is more effective for losing body fat and improving overall health | – The Times of India
Celebrity physiotherapist Jeff Cavaliere has emphasised the vital role of nutrition in achieving a lean, low body fat physique. Speaking on The Peter Attia Drive podcast, the 50-year-old fitness expert explained that reaching just 7 per cent body fat is largely determined by diet rather than exercise. Cavaliere pointed out that while workouts are important for overall health and muscle tone, the true driver of visible abs and fat loss is consistent, disciplined eating. He highlighted that taking “nutritional responsibility” and making mindful food choices throughout the day outweigh the benefits of even the most rigorous exercise routines. Foods like leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, high-quality protein, and healthy fats are essential for controlling appetite, maintaining energy, and supporting sustainable fat loss.
Why nutrition matters more than exercise for a lean physique
Many people assume that exercise alone is the key to sculpting a well-defined body. Jeff Cavaliere challenges this notion, emphasising that nutrition, rather than workouts, largely determines how lean you appear.“When people admire my abs, the first question they ask is about my exercise routine. The truth is, it’s not the exercise that makes the difference. It’s more about what you choose to eat and staying away from unhealthy foods,” said Cavaliere, founder of Athlean-X and renowned strength and conditioning coach.He explained that while movement is important for overall health, achieving extremely low body fat levels relies heavily on dietary consistency.
What you eat determines your results more than the gym
Cavaliere, who previously served as the New York Mets’ strength and conditioning coach, urges individuals to take full responsibility for their nutrition. He points out that gym workouts, even five times a week, are only one aspect of physical transformation.“It’s what you do during the other 23 hours of the day that truly shapes your physique. Remaining consistent with your diet is far more important than simply hitting the gym,” he said. The emphasis, according to Cavaliere, should be on developing a routine of healthy eating habits and maintaining them without compromise. Nutritional responsibility, he explains, is the cornerstone of fat loss success.
Foods that promote fat loss
Cavaliere recommends specific food groups that can help accelerate fat loss while keeping you satisfied and nourished.
- Leafy greens for fullness and hydration
Leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and collard greens are rich in fibre, vitamins, and minerals. These vegetables not only support hydration but also contribute to prolonged feelings of fullness.Leafy greens contain plant compounds called thylakoids, which have been linked to appetite regulation and reduced snacking, making them ideal for anyone aiming to control calorie intake naturally.
- High-quality protein and healthy fats
Incorporating fish and other high-quality protein sources into your diet is crucial for controlling hunger and maintaining muscle mass. Healthy fats from foods like fish or avocado provide essential nutrients that support metabolism and long-term satiety.
- Cruciferous vegetables for fibre and low calories
Cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, are low in calories but high in fibre. They help you feel full without consuming excess energy, making them a smart choice for fat-loss meals.
Exercise supports health, BUT diet determines fat loss
While regular exercise is undeniably important for cardiovascular health, muscle strength, and overall fitness, Cavaliere reiterates that it cannot replace the role of nutrition in fat loss. Body composition is largely a reflection of dietary habits rather than workout routines.“Exercise is crucial for health and longevity, but if your goal is single-digit body fat, the primary driver is your nutrition,” he explained.According to Cavaliere, the ultimate lesson is simple: focus on what you consume and remain consistent, and the results will follow naturally.Also Read | 5 early heart failure signs you might be ignoring, including nighttime cough: Here’s how to prevent before it’s too late
ABILENE, Texas — With the holidays just around the corner, many people worry about putting on extra weight as big meals, desserts and family gatherings fill the calendar.
Slow and steady: fitness experts recommend gradual approach to holiday exercise (KTXS/Jesse Smith)
They say the key is moderation in both diet and exercise.
For those aiming to avoid extra holiday pounds, trainers suggest starting workouts slowly.
Slow and steady: fitness experts recommend gradual approach to holiday exercise{ }(KTXS/Jesse Smith)
“It’s a marathon not a sprint, not a quick race,” said trainer and owner of Alpha Aesthetics, Abe Walzer.
Simple exercises such as pushups, squats, sit-ups, and lunges can be incorporated into a regimen at home.
Slow and steady: fitness experts recommend gradual approach to holiday exercise{ }(KTXS/Jesse Smith)
According to Walzer, the focus for beginners should be consistency rather than intensity.
“It takes time, to show results,” the trainer said. “Start slow, stay consistent, and results will follow.”
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