A few short bursts of vigorous activity a day, like walking fast to the bus stop or taking the stairs, cut the risk of death from cancer by 40% and from cardiovascular disease by 49%. That was in a study of 25,000 adults who did not exercise. About six minutes a day, spread over about eight bursts, was enough.
Most people know regular exercise is good for the heart and may even lower cancer risk. A new study shows that even a few bursts of hard activity, like walking fast to the bus stop, may help. It may cut the risk of death from cancer by 40% and from cardiovascular disease by 49%.
Today people are more likely to die from diseases you cannot catch, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, or cancer, than from infection. Statistics show that almost 80% of deaths in rich nations come from these non-infectious diseases. You can significantly cut the risk of heart disease or cancer by changing how you live. It is well known that regular exercise and diet changes may significantly lower these risks.
But let us be practical. Most people cannot spend an hour or two in a gym. Many also find it hard to cook at home, so they eat whatever is close at hand. So even though people know exercise and diet help, most do not follow through. That is why researchers want more practical ways to lower the risk of heart disease or cancer. For example, recent studies show you do not need hours in the gym to get the benefits of exercise. You might do hard exercise for 15-20 minutes a day instead. Run at top speed for a minute, rest for two, and repeat a few times.
Still, hard exercise for 20 minutes a day is tough for many people. Now a new study shows other ways to get hard activity. You can walk fast to work. You can take the stairs instead of the elevator. The good news: you do not need to spend hours to get the health benefits of moving. Even a few bursts of activity a day may help significantly. A burst that lasts a minute or two may help, most of all if you do a few of them each day. Say you work on the fifth floor. If you take the stairs up and down a few times a day, that can be as good as high-intensity training. It may even bring benefits close to 45 minutes in a gym.
So how did the researchers run this study? They used activity data from wearables. Wearables like smartwatches now produce huge amounts of health data. That data can show things like how staying active during the day helps prevent heart disease. The study used data from 25,000 people who were classed as people who do not exercise. But these people did take short bursts of activity. Researchers called this vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA). The study had many striking findings. Most of these people did VILPA for 45 seconds to a minute at a time. On average, they had about eight VILPA bouts that added up to about 6 minutes a day. Just 6 minutes of VILPA was almost as good for health as regular exercise. The health outcomes of these 25,000 people were comparable to those of 62,000 people who exercise regularly.
The more bouts of VILPA, the bigger the benefits. More activity was associated with more benefit. Just a few bouts of VILPA a day, lasting four to five minutes, were enough. They cut the risk of death from cancer by 40% and the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 49%. These findings are striking. If you cannot do regular exercise, a few bouts of hard activity may still help. Even brisk walks of 45 seconds to a minute, a few times a day, may help. The lesson: stay active, and there are many ways to do it.
Frequently asked questions
Are short bursts of exercise beneficial?
Yes. The study followed 25,000 adults who did no formal exercise. A few short bursts of hard activity a day cut their risk of death from cancer by 40% and from cardiovascular disease by 49%. Their health outcomes were comparable to those of 62,000 people who exercised regularly. The bursts carried real weight.
What is VILPA?
VILPA stands for vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity. It means short, hard bursts of movement built into daily life, not a workout. Researchers measured it with data from wearables like smartwatches. Most bursts lasted 45 seconds to a minute. The typical person in the study logged about eight of them a day.
How many minutes of vigorous activity a day do you need?
Far less than most people think. People in the study averaged about eight bursts that added up to about six minutes a day. That was almost as good for their health as regular exercise. More bursts brought bigger benefits, so every extra flight of stairs counts.
What counts as a short burst of vigorous activity?
Anything that gets you moving hard for a minute or so during the day. Walk fast to the bus stop or to work. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Take a brisk 45-second to one-minute walk a few times a day. All of these count. If you work on the fifth floor, climb the stairs a few times a day and you are done.
More resources
https://painmd.tv/what-to-expect-when-stopping-ozempic/
https://painmd.tv/light-therapy-provides-hope-to-multiple-sclerosis-patients/
https://painmd.tv/biophotons-how-positive-thoughts-create-happiness/
Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP
