Staying healthy needn’t mean spending all your spare time working out, according to recent research
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Lycra-clad fitness fanatics like to dine out on their exercise exploits, whether it’s racking up mileage on running tracks or pumping iron in the gym. But while the rest of us might prefer to chew our own arms off than spend half an hour on the treadmill (and those of us with kids or hectic jobs might struggle to find half an hour at all), new research suggests there’s more value than you might think in smaller portions of activity spread throughout the day.
Studies now show that getting in just a few ‘snacksize’ quantities of activity each day can help you stay healthier and live longer. One recent paper found that meagre helpings totalling little over three minutes of vigorous activity could cut the risk of all major cardiac events, including heart attack and stroke, by around 45 per cent in UK women. The study focused on people who otherwise considered themselves non-exercisers.