Just 11 minutes a day keeps the doctor away

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A new U.K. study finds the addition of only a few minutes of moderate to vigorous activity every day is enough to lower the risk of cancer, heart disease and premature death.

The New York Post reports that as little as 11 minutes a day of exercise is enough to stave off some major illnesses, according to study findings published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

As the report states, “Inverse non-linear dose-response associations suggest substantial protection against a range of chronic disease outcomes from small increases in non-occupational physical activity in inactive adults.”

What that means in layman’s terms is that even a few minutes of aerobic activity daily — such as brisk walking or cycling, running, playing tennis or hiking — can improve health and longevity.

The authors of the study write that one in 10 premature deaths could be prevented, “if everyone achieved even half the recommended level of physical activity.”

The researchers set out to see how the amount of exercise undertaken in a day affects risk levels for chronic disease (cancer and heart disease in particular) and early death.

Those who did the National Health Service recommended 22 minutes a day of exercise were the focus.

When compared to those who did not exercise, those who did 22 minutes were a third less likely to die from any cause, had 29% less chance of dying from heart disease and a 15% lower risk of dying from cancer.

They were also much less likely to develop heart disease (27%) and 12% less likely to get cancer in the first place.

But even those who did only 11 minutes of brisk exercise a day, which is half the recommended minimum, did much better than those who did nothing, having a 23% lower risk of premature death, a 17% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 7% lower risk of cancer.

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In the publication eurekalert.org, research author Professor James Woodcock from the University of Cambridge said it’s well known that physical activity is good for you, “but what we’ve found is there are substantial benefits to heart health and reducing your risk of cancer even if you can only manage 10 minutes every day.”

Dr. Leandro Garcia (Queen’s University Belfast), also a research author, said exercise is available through simple lifestyle changes, such as walking or biking instead of driving to work.

“Doing activities that you enjoy and that are easy to include in your weekly routine is an excellent way to become more active,” he said.