I don’t exercise specifically… but would running to avoid missing the bus be considered exercise?

People who don't exercise regularly find themselves out of breath just climbing subway stairs or chasing a departing bus. Even if it's difficult, engaging in this kind of physical activity occasionally can be beneficial.

 

A study found that engaging in just three to four minutes of high-intensity physical activity, such as climbing stairs or running while chasing a bus, every day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, but only for women.

 

A research team at the University of Sydney in Australia analyzed data from 81,052 middle-aged people enrolled in the UK Biobank. Participants in the Biobank study wore a device that measured physical activity for seven days. Of these, 22,368 reported not exercising regularly or only walking about once a week. Their heart conditions were monitored for approximately 7.9 years, until 2022.

Women who reported an average of 3.4 minutes of vigorous physical activity per day, even if they didn't exercise separately, had a 45% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those who didn't. Specifically, they had a 51% lower risk of myocardial infarction and a 67% lower risk of heart failure.

 

Women who exercised for an average of 1.5 minutes each had a 30% reduced risk of major cardiovascular disease, a 33% reduced risk of myocardial infarction, and a 40% reduced risk of heart failure. These correlations were significant in women, but not in men.

The research team stated in the paper, “Occasionally engaging in vigorous physical activity in daily life may help prevent cardiovascular disease in people who do not exercise at all.”

 

============

When you don't have a car, the bus stop is limited.

I was just walking around,

Now that I have my own car, I can go to a nearby place

I definitely use the car

 

Walking is also very helpful in everyday life.

Should I take a walk during lunch?