Discover the surprising effect of 4 minutes of climbing stairs on heart attacks

Scientists have just discovered that climbing stairs for 4 minutes brings unexpected results in preventing cardiovascular disease.

New research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has found that short but vigorous bouts of exercise throughout the day - even for very short periods of time - can help the heart, according to NCBC .

The international study, conducted by experts from the University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital (Australia), in collaboration with researchers from the Universitat Europea de Madrid (Spain), the University of Southern Denmark (Denmark), Simon Fraser University (Canada) and academics from the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, the University of London (UK), looked at data from about 22,000 people aged 40 to 69 from the UK Biobank.

Vigorous exercise like climbing stairs for just 4 minutes is very beneficial for health.

Climbing stairs 3.4 minutes a day reduces the risk of heart disease by 45%

Participants did little exercise, but wore activity trackers to track their physical activity levels. On average, men did 11 bouts of vigorous activity a day, some lasting less than a minute, and women did nine.

Vigorous activity means doing it at a high intensity, said study leader Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, PhD, University of Sydney.

During nine years of follow-up, about 800 people experienced serious heart problems.

The results were surprising: Not exercising but doing vigorous activity - like carrying groceries to the car or climbing stairs - for just 3.4 minutes a day reduced the risk of serious heart disease by up to 45%. Notably, these activities also reduced the risk of heart attack by up to 50% and the risk of heart failure by nearly 67%.

Vigorous exercise for about 5.5 minutes a day reduces the risk of serious heart problems by 16%.

Even for women, daily vigorous intermittent exercise of at least 1.2 to 1.6 minutes reduces serious cardiovascular events by 30%, the risk of myocardial infarction by 33%, and the risk of heart failure by 40%.

Making short bursts of vigorous physical activity a habit can be a promising approach for people who don’t have time to exercise regularly, especially women, Dr. Stamatakis recommends. To start, it can be as simple as incorporating a few minutes of vigorous activity throughout the day, such as climbing stairs, carrying groceries, climbing a hill, playing catch with kids or pets, or taking a brisk walk, according to NCBC .

Just a few minutes of vigorous exercise can cut your risk of heart attack by half and your risk of heart failure by 70%.

Mr. Stamatakis recommends doing this type of exercise regularly and consistently. The most important thing is not the short amount of time, but the consistency.

Dr. Wasfy, Harvard Medical School (USA), said that for people who do little exercise, vigorous exercise for just a few minutes in daily life has the greatest impact.

Professor Carol Ewing Garber, PhD, Columbia University (USA), explains that short bursts of activity can improve cardiovascular health because they break up long periods of sitting.

Breaking up periods of sitting can have a huge impact on blood sugar levels, says Carol Ewing Garber, PhD. Dr. Garber also recommends that desk workers get up and walk around frequently.

However, Dr. Garber recommends that people still try to plan for at least 150 minutes of exercise each week.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phat-hien-bat-ngo-cua-4-phut-leo-cau-thang-voi-con-dau-tim-185241208083705398.htm