The Latest Medical News

A Summary of The Latest Medical News: **Daily Exercise Snacks Linked to Better Heart and Lung Function** New research highlights that **short bursts of exercise—often called “exercise snacks”—done twice a day for around five minutes each can significantly improve heart and lung function** in adults[2][3]. ** **Why Exercise Snacks Matter** Many people struggle to fit traditional workouts into their busy schedules. Health guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of intense activity per week, but almost one-third of adults fall short of this[2]. **Exercise snacks offer an alternative: very short bouts of moderate-to-intense activity, each under five minutes, performed at least a couple of times a day[1]**. ** **What Did the Studies Find?** Across 11 studies involving 414 participants aged 18 to 75—most of whom were previously inactive—researchers found that even without meeting standard weekly activity targets, these short bursts improved cardiorespiratory fitness[1][3][6]. Participants performed two to ten brief sessions a day for four to twelve weeks. Activities included stair climbing, resistance exercises, lunges, and tai chi[1][3]. ** **High Participation and Notable Gains** A striking 83% of participants maintained their exercise snack routine, considerably higher than adherence rates for more demanding workouts like high-intensity interval training (HIIT)[1][3]. Younger adults generally saw greater gains in heart and lung fitness, while older adults benefited mainly through improved muscular endurance[1][3]. ** **Health Benefits Beyond Fitness** These short sessions do more than just improve fitness. **Regular engagement with exercise snacks is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain cancers, hypertension, and premature death.** Some research even associates short vigorous bursts with a 50% lower risk of cardiovascular death and a 40% reduction in cancer death risk over several years[4][5]. ** **How to Incorporate Exercise Snacks Into Daily Life** Exercise snacks are practical and adaptable for almost anyone, including those who don’t consider themselves “exercisers.” Examples include: - Climbing stairs briskly - Fitting in a few rounds of lunges or resistance moves during a break - Practicing tai chi or yoga poses for a few minutes at a time - Adding short sprints to your walks or daily routine[1][3][4] ** **The Bottom Line** **Consistently adding just two five-minute bursts of moderate-to-intense exercise daily can significantly boost heart and lung health, especially for those who are currently inactive**[2][3]. The simplicity and flexibility of exercise snacks may help more people build healthy activity habits without overhauling their schedules. Help with your insurance? https://tally.so/r/n012P9