New research show say even small exercise wey you do for five minutes every day fit help you live longer. Di study wey dem do for UK, US and Scandinavia follow 150,000 adults and find out say five minutes of moderate activity like brisk walking, cycling or climbing stairs fit prevent one out of every ten premature deaths.
Professor Ulf Ekelund from Norwegian School of Sport say di result surprise dem because small change for physical activity get big impact for reducing risk of early death. But e still advise say adults must try reach World Health Organization recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week.
Di study show say even those wey no fit go gym or join sports club fit benefit from adding more movement to dia life. Reducing sitting time by 30 minutes each day also link to 7% reduction of early death across population.
Nicole Logan, assistant professor of kinesiology from University of Rhode Island, talk say physical function, muscle strength and bone strength be good predictors of later life mortality. So exercise help you live longer and healthier.
Another concept wey researchers dey call exercise snacking involve short bursts of activity spread throughout di day. Dis one fit improve heart health and muscular endurance, especially for older adults. Over 82% of participants continue di practice because e easy to integrate into daily routine.
Marie Murphy, professor of exercise and health at Ulster University, explain say small chunks of exercise increase how often we dey stimulate our metabolism. Even after you stop, your metabolism dey go faster while you recover.
Simple prompts like signs wey encourage people to take stairs instead of lift fit make difference. Amanda Daley, professor of behavioural medicine at Loughborough University, say small shifts build meaningful change over time. She suggest park your car five minutes from your destination to decrease sedentary behaviour.
Another study from University of Sydney introduce concept wey dem call Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA). E show say just four and a half minutes of vigorous daily activity fit slash cardiovascular mortality risk by nearly fifty percent. Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis and im team use wearable technology to track 22,000 non-exercisers from UK Biobank for seven years.
Di results show say short bursts of intense effort like sprinting for matatu or carrying heavy groceries up stairs yield profound longevity benefits. Di brief spikes for heart rate act similar to high-intensity interval training, improving cardiovascular conditioning and insulin sensitivity.
Cardiologists warn say VILPA no be complete replacement for flexibility and strength training. People with pre-existing heart conditions must consult doctor before spiking heart rate. But for millions of sedentary workers, dis discovery offer cost-free way to extend lifespan.
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