Four minutes a day of exertion 'can halve women's risk of heart attack'

Women who add four minutes a day of high intensity routine activities, such as climbing the stairs instead of taking a lift, could halve their risk of heart attacks, a study suggests.

- Andrew Gregory

Less than five minutes of brief bouts of exertion in everyday life could have a significant effect on heart health, reducing the risk of serious cardiovascular events, researchers found.

Experts not involved with the study said the findings - published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine - were clear evidence that getting your body moving and raising your heart rate even for just a few minutes daily could make a difference to having a healthy heart.

Longer bouts of high intensity physical activity are well known to be associated with significantly lower risks of cardiovascular disease. But until now it was unclear whether much shorter bursts of this type of activity, often as part of a daily routine, might also be effective at boosting heart health, and if so, what the minimum threshold for measurable effects might be.