THREE TO FOUR ONE-MINUTE BURSTS of physical activity are associated with a near-halving of early death risk and a halving in cardiovascular disease-related deaths. Today we look at 3-minute exercise.
We explore a new study that suggests that improving health does not require a trip to the gym or heading to the tennis court. Researchers report that getting in only three or four one-minute bursts of vigorous activity can greatly improve health.
This study is the first to accurately measure the health benefits of “vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA).”
“He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.” — Arabian proverb.
Vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity
Let’s tease apart this remarkably unwieldy descriptor. The study authors coined it: Vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) is the very short episodes of vigorous activity (up to a minute or two) we do with enthusiasm each day, like exhibiting bursts of power walking while doing errands or running for the bus.
Study participants provided data from wrist-worn activity trackers. Researchers analyzed this information from the United Kingdom Biobank, a large-scale biomedical database.
The scientists measured the physical activity of over 25,000 self-described “non-exercisers”; these subjects did neither sports nor any other form of exercise. Thus, any activity recorded was incidental and done as a part of everyday living.
The research team followed the participants for seven years. Nearly 90 percent did some vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA). For those who did VILPA, each averaged eight episodes daily (for a total of six minutes); each bout lasted an average of 45 seconds.
Here are the study outcomes:
Three to four one-minute bouts of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) every day are associated with up to 40 percent relative drop in all-cause and cancer-related mortality and about a halving (49 percent) in death related to cardiovascular disease.
Those doing four or five bouts of VILPA had more gains than those without burst activity. There appeared to be a dose-response curve: Larger VILPA amounts are associated with greater benefits.
Activity bursts (3-minute exercise) — My take
First, the study is observational. You know the perils of reading too much into such studies. Observational studies cannot directly establish cause and effect. Have you noticed that drownings rise in the summer? As do ice cream sales. Can we conclude that eating ice cream is associated with drowning?
The World Health Organization Global Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior did not remove the stipulation that “we should perform activity in 10-minute bouts” until 2020.
I agree with the international team from the University of Sydney, University College London (UK), the University of Oxford’s Big Data Institute (UK), the University of Glasgow (UK), the University of Southern Denmark, and McMaster University (Canada). These folks call for updated physical activity guidelines and clinical advice to keep pace with this evolving area.
Wearable technology will reveal micropatterns of physical activity. I look forward to learning practical, time-efficient ways to benefit from physical activity.
Many of us can increase our exercise via incidental activities as part of daily living. The study reminds us that for individuals who are not inclined to spend hours on the basketball court or in the gym, one-minute bursts of exercise also appear to do your health good. You probably know how I am going to end this: Move.
Thank you for joining me in looking at vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) or 3-minute exercise.
The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you seek medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog.