Health - Wellness
Research Shows What Short Bursts Of Physical Activity Can Do For Your Long-Term Health
By BETH BRADFORD
Daily activities like carrying heavy bags upstairs or running for a bus still count as exercise. A recent study in Nature Medicine says they can also prolong your life.
Researchers call it vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA). In the past, they couldn't track small bursts of activity on questionnaires for their studies.
However, the researchers in this study were able to measure how VILPA might improve health in the long term thanks to wearable trackers.
The study found that at least three bursts of daily intermittent exercise reduced the risk of death by cancer or any cause by 40%; cardiovascular death risks reduced by almost 50%.
Researchers also found that people who had 11 short bursts of activity per day had a 65% reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 49% reduction in cancer deaths.
The study showed that VILPA might be a viable option for people who don't like or cannot exercise. Activities like balancing on one leg while pumping gas or heel raises counted.