If you’re like a lot of people, the idea of exercising for 45-60 minutes or longer can seem a bit daunting, but know that you don’t need to exercise this long to achieve many of the wonderful benefits of exercise. In fact, recent studies show that you can exercise for much shorter periods and still reduce your risk of a variety of health conditions. We explore the recent research and explain why as little as five minutes of intense exercise can be protective of your health.
The Benefits Of A Little Exercise
A recent study published in the European Heart Journal took a closer look at the link between vigorous exercise and the risk of developing eight specific health conditions, including Type 2 diabetes, arthritis and atrial fibrillation, among others. Although the study did not prove causation, researchers did notice a substantial link to reduced risk of developing the eight studied conditions.
The team looked at health data of nearly 100,000 people from the UK Biobank and from information provided by worn activity trackers. Participants also answered questionnaires about their regular level of physical activity. After looking at the data, researchers found that participants who had more than 4% of their physical activity classified as vigorous – meaning intense enough that it would leave them struggling to catch their breath or speak – had a dramatically reduced risk of all the examined health conditions. The risks were between 29% and 61% lower, depending on the disease, compared to people who never reached that level of exertion.
Impressively, just a couple of minutes of vigorous exercise proved effective for reducing a person’s risk of certain heart issues.
“Four and a half minutes are associated with approximately 35 to 50% lower risk for incident cardiovascular disease,” said Emmanuel Stamatakis, a professor at Monash University in Australia and an author of the new paper.
Something as simple as running to a class across campus or chasing after your kids at the park can get your heart pumping and lower your risk of certain health conditions. The key is to really push yourself for those few minutes. If the exercise is still relatively comfortable, you’re not in that vigorous zone just yet.
“If you can speak comfortably, that means that you are still in the moderate zone,” said Stamatakis. “When you enter the vigorous zone, you will get out of breath.”
Now, that’s not to say that short bursts of exercise should always replace longer, more moderately paced exercise activities, but it can be helpful to vary your workout routines and pursue some shorter, more intense exercises if you’re short on time or recovering from an extended workout the day before. Run up and down the stairs for a couple of minutes, or race around the block. Just a few minutes of intense exercise can be protective of your health, so know that you don’t need to spend hours at the gym to achieve a healthier version of yourself!
For more information about the study, or to consult with a specialist about a foot or ankle injury that’s keeping you from being as active as you’d like, reach out to Dr. Silverman and his team today.