Try our free symptom checker
Get a thorough self-assessment before your visit to the doctor.
Recent findings from an extensive study, published in Nature Medicine and accessible via https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-02100-x, reveal that short bursts of intense physical activity – termed Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA) – can confer significant health benefits. This research demonstrates that VILPA, embedded in daily activities rather than structured exercise routines, is associated with a markedly lower risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
The study examined 25,241 participants in the UK Biobank who did not engage in leisure-time exercise. Over an average of 6.9 years, those who performed VILPA experienced a 38-40% reduction in the risk of all-cause and cancer mortality and a 48-49% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular mortality, compared to non-exercisers who did not engage in VILPA.
VILPA includes activities such as brisk walking during commuting or taking stairs, which can offer an accessible alternative to traditional, time-consuming exercise regimens. Notably, VILPA provides similar mortality risk reduction to vigorous exercise for those engaged in leisure-time physical activity, highlighting the potential of brief, vigorous activity as a practical and scalable health intervention.
This novel approach to physical activity could reshape public health policies and individual practices, encouraging the integration of short, intense activity into everyday life as a realistic strategy to enhance longevity and reduce the risk of major diseases. By employing wearable devices and machine learning, this research emphasizes the untapped potential of simple lifestyle modifications – a much-needed shift as structured exercise remains a challenge for much of the global adult population.
For more detailed insights, the full article is available on Nature Medicine's website, and for further information, visit Buoy Health.
Was this article helpful?
References
Stamatakis, E., Ahmadi, M. N., Gill, J. M. R., Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C., Gibala, M. J., Doherty, A., & Hamer, M. (2022). Association of wearable device-measured vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity with mortality. Nature Medicine, 28(12), 2521-2529. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-02100-x