Women who add just four minutes of high-intensity daily activities, such as climbing stairs instead of taking a lift, could halve their risk of heart attacks, according to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The research, based on UK Biobank data, found that brief bursts of exertion in everyday life significantly reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events.
The study examined 81,052 middle-aged participants who wore activity trackers for seven days between 2013 and 2015. Among them, 22,368 reported no regular exercise apart from occasional walking. Their heart health was tracked until November 2022. Women who averaged 3.4 minutes of intense daily activity, with no formal exercise, were 45% less likely to experience a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure compared to inactive women. Specifically, heart attack risk fell by 51% and heart failure risk by 67%.
For men, the benefits were less pronounced. Those who managed 5.6 minutes of daily activity bursts, without formal exercise, saw a 16% reduction in cardiovascular risks. The researchers noted that women tend to have lower cardiorespiratory fitness than men at any given age, making such activities particularly beneficial for them.
Regina Giblin, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: 'We know already that any amount of exercise is beneficial. This large study is evidence that getting your body moving and raising your heart rate even just for a few minutes daily can really make a difference to having a healthy heart.' She added that for those able to exercise, the recommendation remains 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week.
