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10 minutes. It’s the time it takes to mop the floor or write a shopping list, so it seems like exercising for this teeny amount of time would hardly be worth the bother. And yet, a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that exercising for just 10 minutes a week is linked to a longer life.
It doesn’t have to be high intensity exercise either. The large, observational study found that leisurely physical activity such as dancing, gardening, or going for a walk – for even a short amount of time each week is associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer or any cause.
The study data tracked 88,140 people aged 40–85 years and compared with individuals who were inactive, those who participated in just 10–59 minutes a week of moderate physical activities had an 18% lower risk of death. Though the health benefits multiplied – the more exercise people did, and the more intensely they did it, the greater the health benefits.
The takeaway: doing some exercise, even if it’s pruning the roses, is always better than nothing.
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