A new study looks at the health benefits of short bouts of incidental activity in daily life. 

Brief activities, such as climbing stairs or briskly cleaning the house, have been found to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and premature death. 

The study involving over 25,000 participants found that both the duration and intensity of these activities are crucial.

“From walking up the stairs to speedily mopping the floors; in recent years we’ve come to understand that it is not just structured exercise that is good for our health, but we know very little about how these short bouts of incidental activity translate to health benefits,” said the study’s senior author Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis from the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre.

Researchers used data from wrist-worn wearables provided by the UK Biobank and employed machine learning techniques to analyse the seven-day patterns of incidental physical activity among 25,241 adults aged 42 to 78, with a focus on 10-second intervals. 

Over nearly eight years, the researchers tracked these participants and examined how the length and intensity of these activity bursts related to their health.

Key findings from the study among participants who reported no structured exercise or sports participation include:

  • Nearly 97 per cent of incidental physical activity occurred in bouts lasting less than 10 minutes.

  • Short bouts of less than 10 minutes at a moderate to vigorous intensity were associated with a significant reduction in major cardiac events (heart attacks and strokes) and overall mortality.

  • Engaging in continuous activity for at least 1 to 3 minutes was significantly more beneficial (with a 29 per cent lower risk) than very short bouts lasting less than 1 minute.

  • Longer activity bouts yielded greater benefits, regardless of total activity levels.

  • Higher proportions of vigorous activity within each bout were linked to greater benefits, with the most significant advantages observed for those who engaged in intense activity for at least 15 per cent of the bout.

  • Bouts lasting less than 1 minute also showed benefits when they included over 15 per cent vigorous activity.

“This study suggests people could potentially reduce their risk of major cardiac events by engaging in daily living activities of at least moderate intensity where they are ideally moving continuously for at least one to three minutes at a time. In fact, it appears that this can have comparable health benefits to longer bouts lasting 5 to 10 minutes,” said lead author Dr Matthew Ahmadi, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre.

“The take-home message here is any type of activity is good for your health, but the more effort you put into those daily tasks and the longer you keep up that energy, the more benefits you are likely to reap,” said Professor Stamatakis.

“If you are huffing and puffing and unable to hold a conversation for some of that time you have hit the sweet spot.”

The study, while observational, accounted for several factors such as diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, sleep, and sedentary time. It also took precautions to mitigate the potential influence of reverse causation, where poor health might affect activity patterns.

With fewer than one in five middle-aged adults meeting recommended exercise guidelines, the study highlights the importance of incorporating short bursts of moderate to vigorous activity into daily life. 

These incidental activities offer a more accessible alternative to structured exercise for those who face barriers such as cost, time, or health constraints.

The full study is accessible here.