Some people like living life constantly on the move, but for others, even the thought of that sounds exhausting. According to a new study, non-stop rushing isn’t necessary, but an intense burst of energy every now and again can be really beneficial to one’s health.
The study found that three minutes of strenuous activity per day can actually lower the risk of premature death by 40%!
25,000 British men and women between the ages of 40 and 69 took part in the study. The participants, who admitted to never exercising, were made to wear an activity monitor which recorded a reading each time they ran for the bus, rushed up the stairs, or decided to vacuum with a little more liveliness.
The data was then compared to seven years’ worth of death records. It was discovered that those who averaged 4.4 minutes a day of “vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity” were 30% less likely to die than those who seldom moved quickly. The odds rose to 40% if the bursts of energy occurred three times a day.
“There is something about intensity,” noted Emmanuel Stamatakis, a professor of physical activity and health studies at the University of Sydney in Australia, who led the new study.
