Scientists from the University of Sydney found that one minute of active physical activity during daily activities is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of premature death, especially from cardiovascular disease. Researchers’ work published in the journal Nature Medicine.
This is the first study to accurately measure the health benefits of “intense physical activity with lifestyle breaks,” or VILPA. These are very short bursts of vigorous activity (up to a minute or two), such as running the bus or playing with children or a dog.
The researchers used data on the physical activity of 25,000 non-sportspeople from the UK BioBank, a British medical and genetic information repository. The team then accessed health data collected over a seven-year period.
Scientists have found that just three to four one-minute VILPAs each day is associated with a 40% reduction in all-cause mortality, as well as a 49% reduction in cardiovascular disease.