Don't have much time to exercise during the week? Or can't find the motivation? A new study shows that fifteen minutes of intense exercise per week or just two minutes of intense exercise per day is enough.
The risk of premature death reduced
The new study was published in the European Heart Journal. The study found that 15 minutes weekly or two minutes daily of intense exercise reduced the risk of premature death by 18 percent.
The study
For the study, researchers strapped activity monitors around the wrists of 71,893 adults with an average age of 62.5 years for nearly seven years. Five years after that, the researchers tracked who died in the interim. People who did not exercise had a four percent risk of dying during that period. Those who exercised ten minutes a week halved that risk. Overall, it appears that fifteen minutes of strenuous exercise per week lowers the risk of death by 18 percent.
More exercise is better
Of course, the more exercise the better. According to the World Health Organization, a "healthy person" does 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise per week. Or you can opt for 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. Research shows that these guidelines reduce the risk of premature death by 21 percent. Do you exercise more than the above number of minutes? Then that has even greater benefits for your lifespan.
Happiness
Longevity is not the only reason to be actively moving daily. Another study shows that ten minutes of exercise per week can increase the feeling of happiness. So plenty of reasons to take a walk!