Don't Think That 5 Minute Walk Matters? Think Again!

If you are having a hard time finding a hour a day to spare for exercise, fear not!    A study just published in the Journal of The American Heart Association concluded that exercise minutes don’t have to be consecutive (https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.117.007678) to be helpful.  Whether it’s sets of 10 minutes or even 5 minutes, the results are more or less the same.  Researchers in the US looked at exercise data from about 5000 men and women.  They then compared this information to mortality data.  One thing was clear: Activity influences mortality.  Men and women who exercised moderately for less than 20 minutes a day were most at risk of premature death.  Those who moved more often, especially those who exercised for an hour a day, cut their mortality risk in half.  What was particularly interesting was the fact that among those more active individuals, benefits were seen whether they went for an hour walk or simply went for shorter, more frequent walks.   The bottom line is that all movement counts.  If you are having trouble making time because of a hectic schedule, simple things like taking stairs and parking farther away from your destination can add up to a longer life.