20150408 - vigorous exercise

Short bursts of vigorous exercise helps prevent early death, says study

Scientists found that those who engaged in some kind of vigorous exercise such as jogging lived longer on average than those who exercised gently

Short spurts of vigorous exercise that get you out of breath are better than longer bouts of gentle exercise when it comes to preventing an early death, according to a study of middle-aged men and women.

Scientists followed more than 200,000 people for six years and found that those who engaged in some kind of vigorous exercise such as jogging or aerobics lived longer on average than those who exercised gently.
The researchers believe the effect was statistically significant, lowering the risk of premature death by between 9 and 13 per cent compared to those who undertook moderate exercise only, such as gentle swimming or household chores.
The findings contradict the basic assumption of current health advice which is that two minutes of moderate exercise is roughly equivalent in terms of health benefits to one minute of vigorous exercise, said the researchers.
Current World Health Organisation guidelines, adopted in the UK, are that adults should exercise with moderate activity for 150 minutes per week or 75 minutes if the activities are vigorous, said Melody Ding of the University of Sydney, a co-author of the study.
“The guidelines leave individuals to choose their level of exercise intensity, or a combination of levels, with two minutes of moderate exercise considered the equivalent of one minute of vigorous activity,” Dr Ding said.
“It might not be the simple two-for-one swap that is the basis of current guidelines. Our research indicates that encouraging vigorous activities may help to avoid preventable deaths at an earlier age,” she said.


 http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/short-spurts-of-vigorous-exercise-helps-prevent-early-death-says-study-10158073.html