New evidence reinforces why sedentary behaviour is a killer and shows that just a few minutes of exercise per day could help slash the risk of heart disease and stroke
Any activity, even sleeping or standing, is better for your heart than sitting down, according to a new study. This research suggests that even a few minutes of exercise per day could help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Vigorous activities are things like hiking, jogging at 6mph or faster, shovelling, fast cycling, playing football, basketball or tennis. The study included 15,253 people from five countries who wore gadgets to measure their activity levels for 24 hours a day. The study indicated that for a 54 year old woman with an average body mass index of 26.5, replacing 30 minutes of daily sitting or lying time with moderate or vigorous exercise could result in a 2.5 cm decrease in waist circumference and a lower BMI.
James Leiper, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: "We already know that exercise can have real benefits for your cardiovascular health and this encouraging research shows that small adjustments to your daily routine could lower your chances of having a heart attack or stroke."