Federal pointers say U.S. adults ought to get at the very least 75 minutes of vigorous bodily exercise, or 150 minutes of less-intense exercise, every week. However over the previous few years, a slew of research have promoted the advantages of getting a lot, a lot much less train than that.

One 2022 research discovered that squeezing in simply three one-minute bursts of vigorous exercise every day might result in an extended life. One other research, additionally revealed in 2022, linked quarter-hour of weekly bodily exercise to prolonged longevity. A 2019 paper went even additional, arguing that simply 10 minutes of weekly motion might show you how to reside longer. These outcomes are tantalizing—but additionally could seem a bit of too good to be true, given long-standing exercise pointers that suggest getting roughly 10 instances as a lot train to remain wholesome.

“There are most likely individuals on the market who’re taking a look at this and saying, ‘Properly, I’m undecided I purchase that,’” says Stephen J. Carter, an assistant professor of kinesiology on the Indiana College Bloomington Faculty of Public Well being who researches train and ageing. “However perhaps we must be serious about train in a different way.”

Any quantity of motion is healthier than none, Carter says, and it takes surprisingly little to profit your well being.

How quick bursts of exercise profit your well being

While you put stress in your physique via train, even for a short while, you set off physiological adjustments, says Malia Blue, an assistant professor of train and sport science on the College of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Even small doses of exercise can enhance blood movement and enhance the physique’s means to control blood-sugar ranges. Over time, these adjustments might cut back your dangers for situations resembling diabetes, coronary heart illness, and stroke, Blue says.

When your muscular tissues are lively, additionally they launch compounds that may enhance the well being of organs all through your physique, says Kevin Murach, an assistant professor on the College of Arkansas who researches muscle biology.

Plus, by getting up and transferring—even for only a minute—you’re interrupting sedentary time, Blue says. Analysis has proven that sitting an excessive amount of is dangerous on your well being, and that changing nearly any quantity of sedentary time with motion is helpful. “There’s a form of a twofold [benefit]: should you break up your sedentary time and also you enhance your bodily exercise, you’re going to see well being advantages from each,” Blue says.

Individuals who train in hopes of shedding pounds or coaching for a particular athletic occasion most likely received’t get dramatic outcomes with a couple of minutes per day. However that doesn’t imply you aren’t benefiting from these quick spurts of motion.

“Individuals need that instantaneous gratification and admittedly, that’s simply not doable with train,” Carter says. “You may not appear like the YouTuber” main your exercise after a five-minute class, “however you’re doing your self a bit of excellent.”

Research again that up: One broadly cited analysis evaluate from 2014 demonstrated that cardiorespiratory health is a greater predictor of mortality than physique mass index. That discovering exhibits train can profit your well being at any dimension. The advantages additionally lengthen past your bodily physique, as many research have proven that motion advantages psychological well-being.

The advantages could be onerous to quantify

Murach agrees that even a bit of train can enhance your well being, however he says it’s vital to be cautious when deciphering research on bite-sized exercises. Usually, research seize solely a snapshot of time reasonably than members’ total lives, Murach says. Some research additionally don’t do an excellent job of teasing out whether or not train brought on sure well being advantages or is solely correlated with them.

“I’m positive there’s a profit,” Murach says. “However should you’re doing a minute of train a day, is that going to be the silver bullet for extending your lifespan?” That’s tougher to know for sure, he says.

One other complicating issue is that individuals begin from completely different baselines. For somebody who’s completely sedentary, including even a brief quantity of train per week may be a reasonably dramatic change. However for somebody who’s already exercising sporadically, it is going to possible take quite a lot of further minutes to realize further well being boosts.

Depth and length matter

All train isn’t equal, both. Sprinting at all-out depth for 5 minutes may have a special impact in your physique than taking a leisurely five-minute stroll.

That’s to not say gentle or reasonable exercise isn’t useful. Within the London Transport Staff Research, which started within the Nineteen Forties, researchers discovered that practice conductors had decrease charges of coronary coronary heart illness than drivers, seemingly as a result of they’d extra lively jobs. These outcomes—and plenty of research carried out within the a long time since—recommend that even reasonable exercise which may not be take into account conventional “train,” like housekeeping or strolling, can have a optimistic affect.

However depth does matter, particularly should you’re solely transferring for a short while. In comparison with extra reasonable actions, vigorous strikes that get the guts pumping, like working or doing leaping jacks, extra effectively set off bodily advantages, Carter says. Two of the strongest exercise-related predictors of longevity—grip power and cardio capability—might enhance modestly after quick exercises, however possible take longer, extra intense bouts of motion to enhance considerably, Murach says. Giant research have proven that the advantages of train compound as you do extra, so there’s no motive to cease at a couple of minutes if in case you have the time and talent to proceed.

The excellent news is that exercise is each variable and scalable. Your vigorous exercise could also be another person’s gentle exercise—however so long as your coronary heart price is up and your respiration is a bit labored, you’re doing all your physique good, Carter says. You can even construct depth over time, analysis suggests. Maybe you begin by taking quick walks a number of instances a day, then ramp as much as extra vigorous motion, achieved for longer stretches, as you get stronger, Blue says.

The takeaway is that some train is all the time higher than none, and each further bit provides up.

“It’s fairly stunning, the quantity of well being profit you may get from even quick little bouts of train,” Murach agrees. “It might not be the factor that makes you lose 30 kilos, however it may possibly enhance your well being in some capability—your physiological well being in addition to your psychological well being.”

Write to Jamie Ducharme at jamie.ducharme@time.com.