{"id":294684,"date":"2025-11-16T07:13:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T07:13:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/294684\/"},"modified":"2025-11-16T07:13:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T07:13:10","slug":"new-research-reveals-the-exercise-six-times-more-effective-than-walking-for-fighting-heart-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/294684\/","title":{"rendered":"New research reveals the exercise six times more effective than walking for fighting heart disease"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cNearly 1.8 billion adults are at risk of disease from not doing enough physical activity,\u201d a 2024 World Health<\/a> Organisation statement reads. At the time of writing, this figure was on the rise.<\/p>\n

A lack of physical activity puts adults at greater risk of cardiovascular diseases<\/a> such as heart attacks and strokes, type 2 diabetes, dementia and cancers<\/a> such as breast and colon, the organisation writes. But new research from the University of Sydney<\/a> suggests a certain type of exercise<\/a> could be more powerful in preventing these conditions than previously thought: vigorous-intensity activity. <\/p>\n

The new data found vigorous-intensity activity to be six times more effective at lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease than moderate-intensity activities like brisk walking, lead author Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis tells me. In other words, for every one minute of vigorous-intensity activity you do, you would need to do six minutes of a moderate-intensity activity to have the same impact on heart health. <\/p>\n

\u201cFor diabetes, it\u2019s nine times more effective, and for all-cause mortality and cancer it\u2019s a little bit lower,\u201d Professor Stamatakis adds. <\/p>\n

The term \u201cvigorous-intensity activity\u201d is relative \u2013 depending on factors such as your age and fitness level, it could mean anything from a swim or cycle to a HIIT workout. The tell-tale signs are; your heart is beating fast; you are breathing hard to the point you can\u2019t speak in full sentences; you can\u2019t maintain this intensity for more than a few minutes at a time. <\/p>\n

If you can reach this intensity a few times per week, you can reduce your risk of chronic illness, the University of Sydney\u2019s study suggests. <\/p>\n

Vigorous-intensity physical activity<\/p>\n

\u2018The signs of vigorous-intensity will be very clear. For a non-athlete aged 30 and up who doesn\u2019t do much exercise, they shouldn\u2019t be able to maintain this intensity for more than two to three minutes without a break. It will be a significant effort, you will be getting out of breath and your heart will be pounding. You should be able to talk, but only say a few words at a time.\u2019<\/p>\n

Moderate-intensity physical activity<\/p>\n

\u2018You will feel slightly out of breath \u2013 you can talk and hold a discussion, but you can\u2019t sing comfortably because your respiratory system is quite engaged. There is a certain level of exertion, but you can sustain this for many minutes or even hours.\u2019<\/p>\n

Light physical activity<\/p>\n

\u2018Light physical activity is any very low-intensity activity where you are moving but your heart rate is barely raised, such as a slow walk.\u2019<\/p>\n

What the science says <\/p>\n

The World Health Organisation recommends adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity like brisk walking, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity like faster running or HIIT, or an equivalent of both. These physical activity guidelines have been widely adopted by the likes of the NHS<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But this new research, published in the Nature journal, challenges the implicit 2:1 benefit ratio of the two intensities, suggesting you might need less vigorous-intensity activity or more moderate-intensity activity than previously thought to achieve the same health outcomes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe make a lot of fuss about the intensity of physical activity in our research because, firstly, different intensities have different health effects, and secondly, the higher the intensity, the higher the health value usually is,\u201d says Professor Stamatakis. <\/p>\n

His latest study used wearable data from 73,485 UK participants to assess the health impacts of light, moderate and vigorous activity against a selection of specific health outcomes; cardiovascular mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events, type 2 diabetes and cancer.<\/p>\n

Health outcome<\/p>\n

Amount of vigorous-intensity activity<\/p>\n

Median equivalence in minutes to see the same response from moderate-intensity activity<\/p>\n

Median equivalence in minutes to see the same response from light activity<\/p>\n

Type 2 diabetes incidence<\/p>\n

1 minute<\/p>\n

9.4 minutes<\/p>\n

94 minutes<\/p>\n

Cardiovascular mortality<\/p>\n

1 minute<\/p>\n

7.8 minutes<\/p>\n

72.5 minutes<\/p>\n

Major adverse cardiovascular events<\/p>\n

1 minute<\/p>\n

5.4 minutes<\/p>\n

86.1 minutes<\/p>\n

All-cause mortality<\/p>\n

1 minute<\/p>\n

4.1 minutes<\/p>\n

52.7 minutes<\/p>\n

Physical activity related cancer mortality<\/p>\n

1 minute<\/p>\n

3.5 minutes<\/p>\n

156.2 minutes<\/p>\n

Physical activity related cancer incidence<\/p>\n

1 minute<\/p>\n

1.6 minutes<\/p>\n

5.1 minutes<\/p>\n

The obvious conclusion here is that a time-efficient exercise routine should hinge on vigorous-intensity activity. If you prefer moderate-intensity activities like brisk walking, you can use these to obtain similar health benefits, but the time commitment required for the same gains will be considerably greater. <\/p>\n

On the other hand, no amount of light activity, like a slow walk, can replicate \u201csome of the core physiological responses from vigorous-intensity activity\u201d. \u201cWhen it comes to light activity, some movement is better than none,\u201d Professor Stamatakis explains. \u201cMoving around instead of sitting down is good for metabolic disease and energy expenditure.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut when it comes to functional capacity, and cardiorespiratory fitness in particular, you need intensity to challenge your physiology. Vigorous-intensity activity will force the heart to strengthen its muscle, improving its capacity to pump blood. Very few of these things happen with light intensity activity, even in large amounts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: The thing most people get wrong when exercising \u2013 and why it\u2019s costing them results<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Walking<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

Walking or running uphill, or up stairs, can be a way to increase the intensity of an activity (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

How to exercise for maximum health benefits, based on this research <\/p>\n

\u201cCompared to people who don\u2019t do any vigorous-intensity activity as part of their day to day routines, introducing anything \u2013 even four to five minutes per day \u2013 seems to have some effect long term,\u201d says Professor Stamatakis. <\/p>\n

This relates to another paper he co-authored earlier this year. The research found that five to 10 short daily bursts of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (or VILPA), such as climbing the stairs or carrying heavy shopping, can significantly lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and premature death in less active populations. These bouts of VILPA can be accrued through 60-second bursts of physically challenging activities during the day. <\/p>\n

The key to achieving lifelong benefits is to make these active behaviours into a habit, Professor Stamatakis caveats.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not talking about doing it once a week or whenever you remember, we\u2019re talking about a daily behaviour,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

Those currently living a sedentary lifestyle are the most likely to see significant benefits from introducing short bouts of vigorous-intensity activities into each day. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone does no vigorous-intensity activity, very little moderate-intensity activity \u2013 let\u2019s say 15 minutes or less \u2013 and a few hours of light activity per day, that\u2019s a very sedentary individual,\u201d Professor Stamatakis says. <\/p>\n

\u201cTypically, they will do under 5,000 or 6,000 steps per day. A very sedentary non-bed-ridden person \u2013 someone who does no planned physical activity, just essential movements like going to the car to drive to work, going to the supermarket for food or going to the bathroom \u2013 will accumulate about 4,000 steps.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor such an individual, if they aim to incorporate seven short bursts of vigorous activity per day, or if you go by this study the equivalent is 63 minutes of moderate activity, they will lower their risk of health outcomes like cardiovascular diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: From back pain to heart health \u2013 Experts reveal how to counter the negative effects of too much sitting down<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

open image in gallery<\/p>\n

The most important factor in securing long-term health benefits is finding a type of exercise you can stick with (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

Dealer\u2019s choice, and why vigorous-intensity activity is not for everyone<\/p>\n

The aim of this study is not to impose vigorous-intensity activity across all populations. Rather, it aims to provide people with more strings to their bow when creating an effective and sustainable exercise routine for fending off chronic illnesses. <\/p>\n

If you are short on time, vigorous-intensity physical activity can help you maximise exercise efficiency, particularly if you use short bursts of challenging lifestyle activities like climbing the stairs and carrying heavy shopping. These acts can also familiarise you with the feeling of a workout, paving the way for more formal exercise later down the line. <\/p>\n

However, this approach won\u2019t work for everyone. Pushing people into a type of exercise they don\u2019t enjoy can leave a \u201cbad taste in their mouth\u201d, souring their relationship with movement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe higher the intensity, the more discomfort comes with it,\u201d says Professor Stamatakis. \u201cWe know this discomfort is a reason why some people quit exercise \u2013 because they don\u2019t enjoy it. This is especially true in the population we\u2019re interested in, which is physically inactive people.\u201d <\/p>\n

If this is the case, moderate-intensity activity is a good alternative. You will have to devote more time to it \u2013 even more than previously thought, this latest study suggests \u2013 but it could be a more sustainable and enjoyable approach for certain people. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone cannot do vigorous activity, or they can’t integrate it into their day to day routine for whatever reason, what is the point of prescribing and advocating vigorous intensity?\u201d Professor Stamatakis asks. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt could be that a very sedentary 60- or 70-year-old gentleman may enjoy going to the park with their grandchildren or going for a slow walk with a friend and chatting \u2013 that\u2019s absolutely fine.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to be considerate and respectful towards people\u2019s preferences; you have to acknowledge their circumstances and, considering everything, support them in the best possible way to integrate activity into their days. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe point here is to give people as many options as possible, hoping that one of them will be the option they can stick with. It\u2019s all about establishing habits \u2013 not doing things once a week or once a month.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: Experts say including more of this in your diet can help you live a longer, healthier life – and it\u2019s not protein or fibre<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cNearly 1.8 billion adults are at risk of disease from not doing enough physical activity,\u201d a 2024 World…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":294685,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[337,97],"class_list":{"0":"post-294684","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/294684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=294684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/294684\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=294684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=294684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=294684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}