Regular exercise is essential for long-term health, yet many people struggle to find the time to work out.
We are grateful to the BBC for highlighting research by Professor Mark Hamer, Chair of Sport and Exercise Medicine at ISEH, alongside colleagues at ISEH and collaborators from other leading institutions and universities.
Research shows that short bursts of intense movement incorporated into everyday life, known as vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA), can deliver significant health benefits. Similar to a scaled-down version of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), VILPA involves briefly increasing effort during routine activities such as climbing stairs, brisk walking, housework, or playing with children.
VILPA, Professor Hamer explains, is simply about doing everyday activities with a little more intensity, enough to raise the heart rate for one or two minutes at a time.
The concept of VILPA emerged when Prof. Hamer and colleagues analysed movement data collected from wrist-worn wearable devices worn by people who did no formal exercise. Despite not attending gyms or playing sports, some individuals accumulated substantial amounts of physical activity through daily tasks such as brisk walking during commutes or climbing stairs.
A 2022 study by Professor Hamer and researchers at the University of Sydney analysed data from 25,241 people in the UK and found that just three to four one-minute bouts of VILPA per day were associated with a 40% lower risk of premature death from all causes and a 49% lower risk of cardiovascular death, compared with people who engaged in very little physical activity. More recent research has also shown that just over four minutes of VILPA each day can help counteract some of the heart-health risks linked to a sedentary lifestyle.
Examples of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) include:
- Fast bursts of walking during your commute or running for the bus
- Taking the stairs instead of the lift
- Doing housework or gardening with extra intensity
- Carrying heavy shopping bags, which also helps build strength
- Playing with pets
Read the full article featured in BBC Future.
