New research is turning conventional exercise wisdom on its head, revealing that short bursts of intense activity may be far more beneficial for heart health than longer sessions of moderate exercise.
The Intensity Advantage
A comprehensive study examining data from over 88,000 UK adults has found that vigorous physical activity – the kind that leaves you breathless – provides significantly greater cardiovascular benefits than moderate exercise, even when the total energy expenditure is the same.
Dr. Matthew Ahmadi from the University of Sydney, who led the research, explained: "The key finding is that both moderate and vigorous physical activity contribute to reduced cardiovascular disease risk, but the intensity plays a crucial role. Vigorous activity yields substantially greater benefits per minute."
What Counts as Vigorous Exercise?
Vigorous activities are those that make breathing hard and fast, typically reaching 77% to 95% of your maximum heart rate. These include:
- Running or jogging
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
- Fast cycling or swimming
- Competitive sports like football or tennis
- Aerobic dancing or vigorous fitness classes
Surprising Time Efficiency
The research suggests you might need only 15-20% of the time spent on moderate exercise to achieve similar benefits when opting for vigorous activity. For time-poor individuals, this could revolutionise their approach to fitness.
Professor Tom Yates, a physical activity expert at the University of Leicester who wasn't involved in the study, commented: "This research adds to growing evidence that intensity matters. For those who can manage it, incorporating even short bursts of vigorous activity could provide disproportionate benefits for heart health."
Practical Implications for Your Routine
Current NHS guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity weekly, plus strength exercises. This study suggests that focusing on the vigorous component might be particularly effective.
Simple ways to incorporate vigorous activity include:
- Adding 30-second sprints to your daily walk
- Taking the stairs two at a time
- Incorporating hill intervals into your cycling route
- Joining a weekly high-intensity fitness class
A Balanced Approach
While the findings are compelling, experts caution that any physical activity is better than none. Moderate exercise remains valuable, especially for those new to fitness or with health conditions that preclude vigorous activity.
The research, published in the European Heart Journal, analysed data from the UK Biobank study, tracking participants for an average of 6.8 years to assess cardiovascular outcomes.
