A study released today in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that just 11 minutes a day (or 75 minutes a week) of moderate exercise-like a brisk walk-can cut the risk of heart disease, stroke, and several cancers.
Heart-related illnesses such as heart disease and stroke top the list as the biggest killers worldwide, causing 17.9 million deaths in 2019 alone. Cancer caused another 9.6 million deaths back in 2017. We already know that staying active, especially with moderate exercise, lowers your chances of getting these diseases. The NHS suggests adults aim for at least 150 minutes weekly of moderate activity or half that if it’s vigorous.
To find out how much exercise you really need to make a difference against chronic illnesses and early death, researchers from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at Cambridge University reviewed tons of data from past studies. They combined results from studies that on their own didn’t always agree or had limited info to get clearer answers.
They analyzed findings from 196 peer-reviewed articles covering over 30 million people across 94 large groups studied over time-the biggest review so far linking physical activity levels with risks for heart disease, cancer, and dying early.
The team discovered that when excluding physical activity done at work, two-thirds of people didn’t hit even 150 minutes per week doing moderate exercise-and fewer than one in ten reached more than double that amount (300+ minutes).
Generally speaking, going beyond 150 minutes each week only added small extra benefits for lowering disease risk or early death. But here’s the kicker: doing just half that amount still gave big rewards-a weekly total of only 75 minutes cut early death risk by nearly a quarter (23%).
Dr Soren Brage from the MRC Epidemiology Unit said: “If you are someone who finds the idea of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week a bit daunting, then our findings should be good news. Doing some physical activity is better than doing none. This is also a good starting position – if you find that 75 minutes a week is manageable, then you could try stepping it up gradually to the full recommended amount.”
Just those 75 minutes per week also lowered cardiovascular disease chance by about 17% and cancer by roughly 7%. For certain cancers like head and neck cancer, myeloid leukemia, myeloma, and gastric cardia cancer, risks dropped between 14-26%. Others-like lung, liver, endometrial, colon, and breast cancers-saw smaller drops around 3-11%.
Professor James Woodcock at the same unit shared: “We know that physical activity, such as walking or cycling, is good for you especially if you feel it raises your heart rate. But what we’ve found is there are substantial benefits to heart health and reducing your risk of cancer even if you can only manage 10 minutes every day.”
The researchers estimated if everyone studied did at least their recommended dose (150 min/week), about one in six early deaths (16%) could be prevented along with one in nine cases (11%) of cardiovascular issues and one in twenty cases (5%) of cancer.
If folks managed just half that time (75 min/week), it would still prevent about one in ten early deaths (10%), one in twenty cases (5%) cardiovascular problems and close to one in thirty cases (3%) cancers.
Dr Leandro Garcia from Queen’s University Belfast added: “Moderate activity doesn’t have to involve what we normally think of exercise such as sports or running. Sometimes replacing some habits is all that is needed. For example try to walk or cycle to your work or study place instead of using a car or engage in active play with your kids or grand kids. Doing activities that you enjoy and that are easy to include in your weekly routine is an excellent way to become more active.”
This research was supported financially by both the Medical Research Council and European Research Council.
What counts as moderate-intensity physical activity?
This type raises your heartbeat and breathing but lets you still chat while doing it. Examples include:
Brisk walking Dancing Riding a bike Playing tennis Hiking
Reference
Garcia, L, Pearce, M, Abbas A., Mok A., & Strain T et al. Non-occupational physical activity and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality outcomes: a dose response meta-analysisof large prospective studies. British Journalof Sports Medicine;28 Feb2023; DOI:10.1136/bjsports-2022-105669
