YOU might not think that there is much you can do in four minutes. But you would be wrong.
New research has found it takes just 4.5 minutes of vigorous activity a day to noticeably reduce your risk of cancer.
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This doesn’t mean you have to lace up and pound the pavement.
Instead, researchers claim that activity which causes you to huff and puff during daily tasks will do the job.
The study, led by the University of Sydney in Australia, suggests that 4.5 minutes of heart-pumping activity could reduce the risk of some cancers by up to 32 per cent.
On the flip side, a minimum of 3.5 minutes of daily vigorous activity was still associated with up to an 18 per cent reduction in cancer.
The researchers found that just four to five minutes of “vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity”, otherwise known as VILPA, was associated with a substantially lower cancer risk compared to those who did no VILPA.
What’s more, scientists in Sweden have since revealed that keeping fit can nearly halve your risk of cancer.
Data from a million men showed staying in shape helps protect against at least nine types of tumour.
Increase the intensity
They found that having heart and lungs in tip-top condition between the ages of 16 and 25 was linked to a lower chance of neck, throat, stomach, pancreas, liver, bowel, kidney or lung tumours in middle-age.
The risk of lung cancer was up to 42 per cent lower than in people who spend more time on the sofa than working out.
So what is VILPA? According to the Sydney researchers, it describes very short, one-minute bursts of activity that “we do with gusto each day”.
These are simple, everyday things such as energetic vacuuming, vigorous scrubbing, power walking and running up and down the stairs.
This new research is great news for Brits as so many of us aren’t exercising as much as we should.
As a PT, I know simply increasing the intensity of everyday tasks, such as cleaning the home, could help negate some of the negative consequences of avoiding exercise.
Let’s get started . . .
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LIFT & STRETCH
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FROM the highest bookshelf and the tops of the kitchen cupboards all the way down to bedside tables and skirting boards, eliminating dust is a job that needs doing on the regular.
Luckily, it’s a pretty vigorous activity, plus it really works the whole body, including the arms, core and legs.
Really reach up on your tip toes to get high with the duster and squat down low.
Do this instead of bending over, so that your legs and glutes get a good workout.
Try to move around the house quickly to break into more of a sweat.
STAIR GAIT
WHETHER it’s the washing or your kids’ toys, rather than carrying everything at once, split your load and make several trips up and down the stairs.
It will take a little longer, but your body will thank you.
Your heart, lungs and legs work hard to drive you up and down stairs, especially if you’re carrying bulky items such as piles of clothes.
GET SCRUBBING
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FROM wiping the floors and windows to putting in serious elbow grease banishing limescale from shower screens, you can inject vigour into scrubbing.
Your heart rate will not only skyrocket as you graft to eliminate dirt and grime, but your arms are getting a good workout too.
The harder you press, the more the muscles in your upper body will work.
Plus, scrubbing for longer keeps these muscles under tension.
This further elevates your heart rate and helps to tone and strengthen.
STRIDE ’N’ VAC
PUSHING a vacuum cleaner around the house, backwards and forwards, into every nook and cranny, can act as a vigorous workout.
Why not increase the intensity by lunging forward as you push the hoover ahead of you?
To do this, simply drop the back knee down to the ground and work the quads and hamstrings.
These are the muscles that are on the back of your thighs.
SQUAT THE LOT: FOUR EASY MOVES TO TRY OUT
CHORES done? Clear some space and give these heart-rate raisers a try.
Aim for ten reps of each, for as many rounds as you can, until you hit 4.5 minutes.
1. SQUAT JUMP: Not only are squat jumps a vigorous exercise, but they’re also great for toning the lower body, helping to build muscle in the legs, particularly the glutes, quads and hamstrings.
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Plus, as a plyometric – AKA jumping – exercise, they really help increase power in your muscles.
Start by standing upright, feet shoulder-width apart.
Bend knees and push hips back to lower into a squat, keeping your back flat and gazing forward.
Then, using strength from your lower body, jump up off the ground so that both of your feet come off the floor.
As you land, drop back into the squat. That’s one rep.
2. BURPEES: The exercise we love to hate, a good ol’ burpee, is a full-body, bodyweight exercise that will get your heart rate up, pronto.
Start this off by standing upright before dropping into a squat by pushing your hips back and bending at the knees.
Then place your hands on the ground in front of your feet and jump both feet back, so you end up in a high plank position.
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Bending your elbows, lower your body down until it touches the floor, then push back up through your palms to get back into a plank.
Jump both feet up towards your hands, then explode upwards back to standing.
If you tend to struggle a bit with burpees, remove the jump and instead, step your feet back and forth. You can also remove the press-up in the middle of the move.
3. JUMPING JACKS: Remember the days of being with pals in the school playground doing those classic star jumps?
Well, that’s pretty much what a Jumping Jack is, just with a fancier name.
Stand upright with your legs close together and arms down by your sides.
Maintain soft knees as you jump both feet out wide. Simultaneously, lift your arms up overhead until your hands touch at the top.
Then jump back to the start position. That’s one rep.
4. BUTT KICKS: To start off, stand up tall, with your hands positioned behind your butt, palms facing away from your body.
Then, simply hop from one foot to the other, lifting your feet up behind you so that they tap the palms of your hands as you go.
One rep equals one butt kick on each side.
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